


The Devil Wears Chanel

by orphan_account



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Adult Hinata Shouyou, Adult Kageyama Tobio, Angel Akaashi Keiji, Angel Hinata Shouyou, Angel Sugawara Koushi, Angel/Demon Relationship, Angel/Human Relationships, Awkward Kageyama Tobio, Boys Kissing, Demon Kageyama Tobio, Demon Oikawa Tooru, Fluff, Gen, Hinata Shouyou is Sunshine, I Blame Tumblr, I Tried, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I'm Sorry, Idon'tknowwhatI'mdoing, Kageyama Tobio is Bad at Feelings, Knight Iwaizumi Hajime, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Language, Oblivious Hinata Shouyou, Oblivious Kageyama Tobio, Oh My God, POV Hinata Shouyou, POV Kageyama Tobio, POV Multiple, POV Nishinoya Yuu, POV Tsukishima Kei, Pro Volleyball Player Hinata Shouyou, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow To Update, Tags May Change, Third Year Hinata Shouyou and Kageyama Tobio, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think, Underage Drinking, What Have I Done, You Have Been Warned, it'sgoingtobealittleallovertheplace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-31
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:55:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 30,157
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25630078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Good and Evil, white and black.Angel and devil; sworn enemiesThere comes a day when Good finds their Queen, and Evil’s King is born.Angel and devil will unite, or be torn asunder for eons moreTheir Queen will light the way, their King will guide them alongOpposing natures attract; the way night comes with dayFire meets ice and blurs the line between Good and Evil
Relationships: Brief mentions of others - Relationship, Hinata Shouyou & Kozume Kenma, Hinata Shouyou & Tsukishima Kei, Hinata Shouyou & Yachi Hitoka, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	1. Coco Noir

**Author's Note:**

> Things to note: scents and smells play a huge role in the story, especially perfumes, since devils and angels have their own unique smells.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yoohoo! This is an au of my own creation, though I'm sure others will have similar aus. Regardless, I hope you have a great time!
> 
> Just to make a few things clear: smells and scent is going to play a huge part in the story. Angels and Devils have two scents each, one when they're in their celestial form and one when they're human. I guess it's a slight soulmate au?

There is a tale, as old as time itself. A tale where heaven, hell and earth were one, and when angels and devils walked freely among humans. Both celestial beings were revered as messengers of good and evil, and angels and devils were treated as oracles, mouthpieces of abstract concepts. Of course, Good and Evil did exist, but they did not meddle in the affairs of men and celestials.

But then the war came. Angels and devils were pitted against each other, and aided by the humans, eviscerated each other. The slaughter went on for four hundred years, though human records do not have this dark era in their history books. They simply called it the Dark Ages, due to the lack of material concerning this era. Good and Evil saw this and decided to intervene. They created three planes of existence: Heaven, Earth and Hell. Angels were banished to Heaven and devils, to Hell. Good and Evil decided they would each control Heaven and Hell respectively, and that would leave Earth as the middle ground where they could meet neutrally. However, without a leader, the angels and devils began to bicker amongst themselves again.

To prevent another all out war, Good and Evil gifted their power to several humans, hoping one of them would rise up and lead the celestials. And they did, but it fell apart after a few centuries. The strongest started leading, but they were not perfect. Nevertheless, Heaven and Hell calmed down, with the devils and angels settling into a rhythm. The angels started making deals with the humans, giving them wishes in exchange for their souls. Not to be outdone, the devils started this practice too, making their deals sweeter with their silver tongue and natural charisma. Good and Evil took on human forms, travelling around the world in search of a suitable being to take over the thrones of Heaven and Hell.

* * *

Hinata huffed as he pushed his way up the mountainous path, his breath puffing out in front of him in large clouds. This was the best part. He reached the peak of the path and saw the whole town laid out before him, looking like a convoluted patchwork quilt. He whizzed down the slope and braked at the gates of Karasuno, hopping off his bike and chaining it up. With some luck… he could-

“Hinata!” A gruff voice called out, and Kageyama strolled into view. Hinata looked up and their eyes met in an unspoken challenge. Together they turned and ran, straight for the volleyball court.

“Loser buys meat buns, Kageyama!” Hinata sang out as he gained a little headway against Kageyama. The setter in question growls and pours on the speed, choosing not to reply. Too much energy wasted.

“Dumbass… I won that round. Meat buns are on you,” both boys were hunched over at the door to the court, catching their breath. Hinata wheezed and jumped up and down.

“No way! I won that round, and since I’m more energetic than you, I win double!” He sticks his tongue out at Kageyama, who swiped at him. That sparked off another battle, their yells and taunts echoing through the school.

In short, a pretty normal day at Karasuno High.

* * *

“Do you know what day it is Hinata-kun?” One of Hinata’s classmates asked him. He looked up from his lunch and cocked his head to the side.  
  
“Is there a test today? Uwahh! I completely forgot about it-” Hinata grabbed at his hair in distress, lunch completely forgotten.

“It’s Valentine’s Day, Hinata-kun! You know, when girls or guys give their crushes chocolate and stuff,” Hinata listened intently. Chocolates? Sweets? Sign him up! Unfortunately, no girls (or guys for that matter) seemed interested in him. The bell signaling the end of lunch rang, and Hinata shoved that line of thought to the back of his mind. It wasn’t until the end of school, when he opened his locker to take his shoes out then did he remember.  
  
“Hey! I got a gift!” Hinata whooped as he retrieved a small package from his locker. “Who’s it from?” he turned it around, checking every surface of it. It was prettily wrapped, and the handwriting on the note was so cute, too! Hinata tore apart the wrapping paper little by little and opened it excitedly. Inside was a small note and a beautifully made chocolate was nestled in pink wrapping paper like a piece of jewelry. It was a tiny volleyball, no bigger than a small pebble. He turned to Kageyama, about to boast about his gift when his eyes focused onto the box in Kageyama’s hand. Actually, on the avalanche of boxes in Kageyama’s locker.  
  
“I win, dumbass,” Kageyama waved the box in Hinata’s face. Hinata shot Kageyama a glare, but the other boy was already digging out other Valentine’s gifts, no doubt from the girls he had yet to reject.  
  
‘ _How does he get so many gifts with that personality of his?_ ’ Hinata wondered, stowing the chocolate away for later and heading out towards his bike. As he walked, he thought of any girls who had shown an interest in him lately. He was so absorbed, he nearly walked right past his own house.

“I’m home!” Hinata called out, barely stepping into the house before a blur of orange tackled him around his waist.

“Sho-chan! You’re just in time for dinner! Come on, come on!” Natsu pulled at Hinata, who indulged her by letting himself be buoyed along on her endless enthusiasm. Dinner was a cheerful affair, with Hinata retelling the moment when he found out that he had gotten a Valentine's’ day gift, complete with sound effects. Soon, the Hinata household retired to bed, and the house grew quiet. Well, almost all.

Hinata creaked his bedroom door open, listening for any irregularities in breathing. This would have to be carried out with utmost secrecy. He retreated back into his room and closed the door, sighing. How much longer was he going to put this off? It wasn’t like this was his first time. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, feeling prickles of heat developing on his back. Slowly, it blossomed across his back, and the heat increased in intensity until tears pricked at the corner’s of Hinata’s eyes. A bright glow flashed across his eyes, and when he opened them, huge luminescent wings greeted him, each feather glowing with the light of a miniature sun. He glanced up, and his expression morphed into panic.

He was going to be late. Again.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he crossed his room and hopped up onto the windowsill, jumping out of the window. His rocket powered jump lent him the momentum he needed, and Hinata flapped his wings furiously, trying to get to heaven quickly.

“Sorry I’m late!” Hinata gasped, his wings burning with the speed of his arrival. He was afraid that he might have torn a muscle, if his wings even had muscles. The angels in the room turned to him collectively, their halos casting a glow over the upper half of their faces and masking them.

“It’s alright Shouyou. We know how hard it is to get away in your situation. You didn’t miss much. Take a seat.” The angel standing at the front of the table smiled, their halo dropping small flakes of itself in an endless cycle. Hinata dropped into an empty seat, slouching slightly and folding his wings around himself, muttering a quiet apology to the angels around him. “So, to reiterate what we went through, the list of fledglings ready for advancement has been put up, so please take a look at it.” The angel gestured to another, and took their seat. This one radiated an aura of power, and their clothes spoke of their high rank. Their wings unfurled slightly, and Hinata’s breath hitched in his throat. An archangel. Not just an archangel, but arguably one of the most important ones.

The angel had pitch black wings, and their wingspan was huge, ranking in the top five of the archangels. The size of their wings were at odds with their size, but they had a commanding aura, the kind that made Hinata sit a little straighter.

The Little Giant.

Hinata didn’t know if they were the same Little Giant, but he would be okay if they weren’t. He zoned out, thinking about volleyball when the angel in front– when had the Little Giant sat down? –brought up something called the Lune Event. Apparently, it was a day when angel and devil alike gathered together; a recipe for disaster. The higher ups had thought so too, but had reluctantly admitted their relationship with the devils had been strained lately, so maybe a social function would be good. Of course, to protect the identities of the angels, they would all wear masks to the party and no, they could not take them off.

Hinata listened carefully throughout the entire presentation, and when they were dismissed, he practically flew out of the room towards the noticeboard where a piece of paper displayed the list of fledglings ready to become a fully fledged angel. Hinata Shouyou, Hinata Shouyou…. He scanned the letters, hoping and praying to see his name on the paper. Other fledglings crowded in, jostling him around and blocking his view. He jumped up and down, getting tantalizing glimpses, until finally. He saw it. Hinata yelled out loud, his heart bursting with happiness. He was going to become an angel! He would finally get wings that were truly his. He did a small run-up and launched into the air, swooping around until he reached his house. Good, it was still dark. He snuck into his own room and willed his wings away before crawling into his own bed and fell asleep smiling.

* * *

“Nii-chan! Mail for you!” Natsu ran into his room, waving a cream envelope around. She bounced around excitedly before taking one final leap and jumping onto the cocoon of blankets on the bed.

“Oof! Okay, okay, I’m getting up.” Hinata threw off his blankets and put his feet on the ground, taking the letter from Natsu’s hands and ripping it open. He had to cover his mouth to stifle his almost yell. His invitation for the Lune Event was here… and a note? It even came with a tiny bottle. Hinata lifted it up and inspected it in the morning light. It was a pearlescent bottle, and some sort of liquid sloshed around inside. He picked up the note and started to read.

Dear fledgling,

Congratulations! You are one of the lucky few who have been chosen to transcend. You will find enclosed an invitation to the aforementioned Lune Event and a bottle. Keep the bottle safe. It will be your literal lifeline to your angel side. The liquid inside the bottle is colourless now, but it will slowly develop a scent and a colour the longer you keep it on you. Slowly, you will also take on the scent. Concerning the Event, please don a mask for your safety and wear your official clothing that was given to you when you were a fledgling. We thank you for your cooperation.

Sincerely, Shiroi Kireina

Hinata put down the letter, his eyes shining. He was almost vibrating with excitement, and he shoved the letter into his drawer to reread later. He looked at the bottle again, squinting closely. Hm…he didn’t know if it was the lighting, but the liquid looked a little orange. But one look at his clock spurred him into action. He threw on his clothes, grabbed a piece of toast and whisked out of the house, yelling that he was leaving. He biked down the mountain just in time to see Kageyama step into the school grounds and start running. “Kageyama!!” Kageyama turned around and his eyes widened imperceptibly. He immediately started running, Hinata hot on his heels. Hinata won by a millisecond.

“Why the hell are you so cheerful today?”

“What are you talking about?” Hinata beamed up at Kageyama. Was it that obvious? He really was happy, and if he could get Kageyama to toss to him during volleyball practice, that would make his day. But he wasn’t good with words, so he shrugged, flashed Kageyama another smile and simply said: “Toss to me lots during practice okay?”

“Work on your shitty receives and then we’ll talk.” Kageyama shot back, but it didn’t even dent Hinata’s mood. He turned away, humming a peppy tune he probably made up on the spot. Kageyama huffed and moved to his own classroom, answering Hinata’s goodbye with a noncommittal grunt. He sat down and immediately spaced out when the teacher started talking, his thoughts drifting to volleyball. Slowly, imperceptibly, they shifted to Hinata. That annoying little dumbass, who always asked Kageyama to toss for him. He frowned. Why the hell was he thinking about Hinata? He wrestled his thoughts back to volleyball with only a little resistance from his subconscious and spent the rest of class happily fantasizing about playing centre court.

“Hinata! Are you okay?”

“This is like the fifth time he’s been hit. Do you want to take a break?”

“I’m fine! Just a little distracted is all,” Hinata rubbed his forehead where Kageyama’s spike had nailed him, laughing awkwardly. Suga and Daichi traded glances with each other and shook their heads.

“Alright, but one more time and you’re going to take a break, you hear me?” Hinata nodded vigorously and Suga ruffled his hair, flashing a quick smile at Hinata before moving back to practice.

“Oi. Are you okay?” Hinata looked up, and realized Kageyama was the one who posed that question. His eyes darted about uncomfortably, and he fiddled with his towel. He’s not used to this, Hinata realized.

“I’m fine! I was thinking about something else.”

“I thought there was nothing else in your head except volleyball,” Kageyama snorted. This earned him a swat and a snarky retort from Hinata.

“Yeah, well I don’t think there’s anything in your head ‘cept setting! Bakageyama!”

“What’d you say dumbass?” Kageyama yelled, throwing down his towel and advancing towards Hinata, who darted away, sticking out his tongue and blowing a raspberry at Kageyama.

“There they go again,” Suga sighed, leaning against Daichi. He heard and felt a laugh rumble through Daichi’s body.

“Just let them be,” he smiled, watching them duke it out, Tanaka and Nishinoya egging Hinata on while Ennoshita cautiously approached the duo from the back. “They seem to be enjoying it anyway.”

* * *

Hinata stared holes into his outfit for the Lune Event, wishing desperately that it would go away. It was too conspicuous! Though, he supposed that was the point: to look their best. He lifted it up again and his eyes scanned it critically.

A powder blue pinstripe onesie? It had short golden tassels hanging from the pants and ridiculous looking ruffles on the sleeves. At least it was soft, Hinata thought when he slid it on. He didn’t think he would survive if he had to wear stiff, formal clothing; he’d rather die. Now for the coat. He inspected the cutting and the large slits for his wings to fit through, sliding his hands over the fabric. It looked like a cape of sorts, in the sense that it didn’t have sleeves. Slowly, he unbuttoned the front and pulled it on, buttoning it back up and facing his mirror. Two golden stars secured by a delicate gold chain hung by his sides, and the cape had gold embellishments on the side. It was a little long, and the tips of it trailed on the floor. This is why he didn’t like his official angel wear. But rules were rules, Hinata sighed inwardly as he secured a full face mask on his face. Time to go.

Kageyama tugged at his collar, irritated. Why the hell did devils have to wear this? He was dressed in a charcoal grey waistcoat and matching pants, with a thin light blue tie. A cape hung to his knees, trimmed with white ermine. He glanced at the bottle sitting on his bedside table. Oh right, he had to bring that, didn’t he? Kageyama snatched his bottle up, glaring at it like it had done him a great injustice. It was a dark red, almost black crystal bottle. He had heard people describe his scent as wildly differing, from intoxicating to suffocating. But that didn’t matter. Kageyama fumbled with the ribbons of his mask, tying it in place and giving himself a quick onceover in the mirror. He opened his envelope and unfolded the letter, memorizing the chant that would take him to the location of the Event.

It was extremely clear that angel and devil meeting up was a very bad idea. The tension at the party was palpable, and even though there was music playing, hardly anyone was dancing. They huddled in their own groups, whispering quietly.

“Uwaah!! The place is huge!!!” Hinata took no note of the tension, instead turning a circle with tiny steps to gawp at the ballroom. The floor was patterned with black marble and gold trim, and the pillars intersecting the room were a lighter colour than the floor, and veined with white. Those pillars arched into the ceiling where a chandelier of monstrous proportions hung from a series of chains, dripping golden light across the various buffet tables and the dance floor.

Hinata rushed around the place, exclaiming over the architecture, the food, the music, everything. Hinata’s actions seemed to ease the tension, and the angels and devils begin to carefully mingle. They were still walking on eggshells around each other, but at least some of them engaged in careful conversation. Hinata met some of his angel friends, and he started to chat, using his hands and voice to accentuate his point. Unfortunately, he wasn’t looking at where he was going and ended up bumping into someone. “I’m sorry- ah,” Hinata turned around and gasped. A tail. Ash grey horns curling out from a mess of dark brown hair.

The devil smiled at him and waved his hand casually, and Hinata’s eyes followed the grey claws tipping each finger. His teeth were bright against the metallic silver mask covering his eyes and curling around his razor sharp smile. “It’s alright Chibi-chan.”

Hinata swallowed thickly, suddenly finding it difficult to breathe. Were all devils this intimidating? Or was it just him? The scent flowing off the devil was overwhelming: a mix of flowers and warmth, of sophistication and danger. Hinata took a few steps backwards and held his hands up. “W-wanna fight!?” He yelped.

The devil chuckled and stepped forward, matching Hinata’s steps and maintaining the distance between them. “That’s cute, Chibi-chan. Do you know who I am?”

Hinata shook his head, but stubbornly remained in his stance. Who was he? He couldn’t be a devil, since devils were like fledglings: they didn’t have scents of their own. A demon had a faint scent, so he would be a- his eyes widened and he noticed his hands were trembling. A demon king. He finally saw it. The silver sterling crown nestled in the crook of the horns. Gods above help him. What had he done?

* * *

“Karasu-kun, are you listening to me?” One of the devils who had crowded around him asked, hands on her hips. Kageyama growled, and they immediately scattered. He huffed. Goddamn devils, trying to curry favour from him. He was already on high alert the moment he arrived at the Event, and then these devils mobbed him. His eyes alighted on an angel, and all the anger evaporated from him immediately.

The angel had a halo that was almost blinding to look at, and their outfit was star themed. Their wings were a pure white, and their laugh— oh god, when they laughed, Kageyama’s mind blanked. He had heard of angels being beautiful, but he couldn’t even see their face, and he was already enchanted. He pushed through the crowds, stopping when Victory approached the angel. They were currently tormenting the tiny angel, who seemed ready to fight back. That was something new. He reached over Victory’s back and grabbed the angel’s hand, eliciting a yelp from them. “Let’s dance,” he said gruffly and whirled the angel into the crowds, leaving a disgruntled Victory behind.

The angel’s hand was warm. The height difference made it a little awkward, but they moved across the dance floor, Kageyama fumbling slightly with his feet. The angel seemed to have no problems with dancing, and Kageyama admired, even envied the angel’s graceful movements. He looked down at the angel, and their golden mask smiled up at him. Kageyama felt he had to tear off the mask that hid their face from him, so that he could see who was under it.

The room seemed to glow brighter, and the buttery yellow light refracting off the crystals hanging from the chandelier jumped off the stars swinging from their sleeves, throwing light into Kageyama’s eyes and making him see stars. Not that he minded. He inhaled and sighed gently, the knots in his shoulders loosening. The angel’s scent ebbed and flowed around him, subtle but effective in diffusing his tension. It smelled like a warm summer’s night —were those hints of oranges? —and it tickled his nose. He didn’t even realize when the song ended and the angel disentangled themselves from him, but he mourned that the miniature sun had left his grasp. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the angel bow, and he mirrored them, straightening up afterwards. He inhaled again, and the smell of candy wafted around him. The angel gave him a small wave and disappeared into the crowds again, leaving Kageyama with half-formed words on his lips and a strange pinch in his heart.

Hinata glanced at his hands, still tingling from the devil’s ice cold grasp. He felt like a glacier, cold and immovable. He curled his fingers inwards, smiling to himself. He was really awkward when he asked to dance, but he was glad that he at least didn’t fall flat on his face. Glancing around for the devil and the demon king, he cautiously made his way to the restrooms and removed the lower half of the mask, glad that he could at least now breathe. He tucked the lower half of the mask into a side pocket and it bumped against his bottle. He pulled it out and inspected it. It definitely had an orange tinge to it, but he couldn’t smell anything. Hinata tucked the bottle back in and slipped out, blending in with the crowds again.

* * *

The Event passed without (much) incident and the elders were even considering another one like this in the near future. However, one particular fledgling was disappointed.

Hinata had thought that he would moult in front of the whole of the angels and devils. Wouldn’t that be something. But he was slowly shedding. Right now, his white feathers were more prone to dropping out, and he could make out grey fuzz growing in. He tucked his wings in and they disappeared in fragments of light. He was hiding in the toilet, trying to calm his nerves down before Karasuno’s big match against Shiratorizawa.

Hinata inhaled and suddenly, he got a whiff of something exotic. His eyes widened and he pressed against the cubicle door. He sniffed again, and closed his eyes, trying to discern what was in that scent. It was floral, but it slowly settled down into something dark and warm. It gave Hinata the impression of candlelit rooms, paneled in mahogany. Who had this kind of scent? He didn’t know any angels who smelled like that, and he was sure cologne would never smell like that. Well, ninety percent sure. It was a heady blend of cinnamon and jasmine, and Hinata could smell vanilla in it. He took in air like a drowning man, drinking in more and more of the scent. Something shifted in the scent, and it smelt slightly spicy to him. Hinata sighed, nervous energy completely gone. He unlocked the door with a click and looked around for the source of the smell.

“Dumbass, where were you? Daichi and Suga were looking for you,” Kageyama scowled, stomping towards Hinata. The other doors hung open, presumably opened by Kageyama in his search for Hinata.

“Do you smell that, Kageyama?” Hinata asked hazily. He inhaled again, and leant sleepily against Kageyama, who hissed as though he had been burnt.

“Smell what?” Kageyama’s brow furrowed, and he sniffed the air. “I don’t smell anything,” he lapsed into silence, and stepped away from Hinata. “Come on, warm up is starting,” he pulled Hinata along, who was still blissed out by the scent that he couldn’t even smell. Well, that was a lie. Kageyama could smell something. He sniffed again, and immediately, he was surrounded by a fruity scent, reminding him of the muggy afternoons where it was too hot to even lie still. It smelt spicy, with a faint undertone of flowers. Kageyama growled impatiently, turning back to look at Hinata, who meandered along at a leisurely pace. “At this rate, you’re going to make us miss the match, you idiot.”

Hinata picked the pace up a little, but he still seemed in no hurry to get to the match. “Kageyama, did you wear perfume?” He asked suddenly, stopping dead in his tracks. By way of response, Kageyama snarled viciously at Hinata, who yelped and scrambled into the court, where the rest of Karasuno were just beginning their warm ups.

“Oh, great timing you two! We were just about to start warming up!” Suga waved from the side, speed walking forward to ruffle Hinata’s hair and smile at Kageyama. Kageyama was still seething, and when Tsukishima smirked at him, he felt his blood boil. No doubt there was going to be some kind of snarky-

“It looks like the King took his own sweet time to convince shrimpy over there to get out of the bathroom. I guess he wanted to come in fashionably late.”

There it was.

Kageyama was already in a foul mood, and Tsukishima was the last straw. He saw red, and made for Tsukishima.

“I hope you guys aren’t fighting,” Daichi loomed up behind Kageyama, placing a heavy hand on his shoulder. “This is an official match after all.” His tone promised pain for anyone who brought trouble onto this match, and Kageyama stomped away.

“Bakageyama! Warm up or else I’ll defeat you!” Hinata bounced up and down, the top of his head whizzing past Kageyama’s line of sight. He growled and grabbed onto Hinata’s head, which sparked off a yell and another battle.

“Honestly, you guys,” Suga sighed, moving them away from each other.

~

They won.

Hinata had never seen the third years so overwhelmed with emotions before, and he watched as Suga, Daichi and Asahi sobbed freely, clutching onto each other like drowning men. The second years rushed them, tears in their eyes as they smothered the first years in a bear hug. The trip home was a cheerful one, and everyone in the bus were boisterous. Hinata joined in the festivities, talking and laughing about some of their best moments on court. He didn’t even feel the fatigue set in until he reached home and plopped onto his bed. His heart was pumping a million miles an hour, and Hinata felt exhilarated. He summoned his wings and threw himself out of the window, taking off for the sunset.

“Shouyou! You have a visitor,” the angel on duty called him over. Hinata bounced over to the desk, noticing the nervous flutter of their wings and the tremble in their hands. “Someone wants to see you,” Hinata tilted his head to the side. “Who?”

“Yoohoo! Long time no see, Chibi-chan!”


	2. Fairy Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hahahaha I've probably skipped ahead too much, right? But I swear it'll slow down :P

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wehey witness this love child born from creativity and writer's block :'D

Hinata froze. Oh my god. It was that demon king from before. He turned around slowly, and came face to face with the masked demon. He swallowed. “Greetings, Grand King,” he began, but the demon waved him off.

“Oh please, just call me Victory, ‘kay Chibi-chan? Now, walk with me, heaven is too bright for me,” he beckoned for Hinata, who cast an uncertain glance at the clerk angel. But they avoided his eyes, and Hinata moved towards Victory, and he hurried forwards.

“This… this is hell?” Hinata gasped, looking around at the valley spread out below him. There were huge oak trees scattered around a sparkling lake, and in the distance, he could spot the turrets of a castle rising majestically from the mist. He looked back at the cold, soupy mist where they had come from and back at this Elysium.

“No, this is my region of hell,” Victory’s face was hidden by the mask, but Hinata could hear the smile in his words. He made his way to an oak tree and settled down at the base of it, patting the grass beside him. Hinata perched on a root, folding his wings around himself.

“What did you want to talk about, Victory-san?”

“I’m not the one who wants to talk to you,” Victory said mysteriously, getting up and dusting off his lake green robes. “Have a nice time here!” He waved to Hinata, and disappeared in a puff of emerald green smoke.

‘ _Okay…that was weird._ ’ Hinata thought, getting up onto a branch with a few wing assisted jumps. He settled into a crook of the branch and yawned. That match with Shiratorizawa had been pretty draining. ‘ _A nap wouldn’t hurt._ ’ Hinata thought hazily, his wings drooping off the branch. ‘ _Time passes differently in the Celestial anyway._ ’ He fumbled with his mask and unclipped the lower half, stowing it into his pocket.

* * *

  


Kageyama peeped out from the grove of trees he had been hiding in. He had requested an audience with Victory, but on his way to the castle, he chanced upon Victory with that angel from the Lune Event. So what did he do? He watched as the angel swept up to the lowest branch of the tree and settled down, becoming motionless. Slowly, he crept out towards the tree, glancing around. This felt kind of wrong, sneaking up on a defenseless angel. He had heard that they wielded power beyond his wildest dreams, and that they were capable of killing off a devil with just a mere thought.  
  
The angel shifted, and Kageyama froze. But then they settled down again, and Kageyama resumed his discreet journey towards the angel. Up close, they were even more ethereal. Their wings were outlined in white shimmering fire, and each feather swirled with muted colours. The wings arched gracefully from their back and brushed the grass with the tips. Their hand hung down from their perch, and Kageyama resisted the urge to hold onto it. He knew how impossibly soft those hands were, and how they radiated warmth like a tiny sun.

Kageyama inhaled, and a warm summery breeze surrounded him, basking him in a sweet, slightly spicy scent. He sat down at the base of the tree, casting another glance at the angel lying above him before crossing his arms and closing his eyes. After an immeasurable amount of time, he heard a slight rustle from above. He kept his eyes shut, even as the rustling stopped and the perfume intensified. Kageyama was sure they were standing in front of him now, and he lay still. Something brushed against him, impossibly soft and gentle. But it felt like a flame, and it took all of Kageyama’s willpower to prevent himself from jerking away from the heat. Slowly, the touch drew back, and Kageyama dared a peep. The angel was really, _really_ close. They tilted their head and stretched out their hand again, and this time, the heat blossomed over his horns. Kageyama couldn’t take it. His horns were one of the more sensitive parts of his body, although not as bad as his tail. He jerked away and growled. This seemed to frighten the angel, who leapt away from Kageyama. For a long time, they stared at each other, watching to see who broke the spell first.  
  
The angel shifted, their wings opening and closing. A single feather fluttered out, and when it touched the grass, it dulled and became an ordinary white feather. Kageyama swallowed, thankful for the mask which hid his emotions. “Who are you? How’d you get in here?”

The angel tilted their head, considering the questions. At least, Kageyama hoped so. Either that, or they were falling asleep. Then the angel sat cross-legged on the grass and shrugged.

“That’s not an answer.”

Another shrug.

“At least tell me your name, or I’ll call you idiot.”

“Hikaru.”

“Karasu.”

Kageyama was frustrated. This angel was speaking so little! How the hell would he be able to start a conversation, then somehow steer it to the Lune Event, all with his charming personality? It felt like Victory was jeering at him somehow.  
  
“You’re cold. Like, really cold. Are you okay?”  
  
Kageyama looked up in surprise. He had never had anyone told him he was cold before, much less care about him. Though he supposed with a temperature like that, anyone was bound to feel cold to them. He cleared his throat and looked sideways.  
“It’s how I was born,” he muttered. “Anyway, you’re really warm, so I guess everyone feels cold to you,” he looked up to see the angel shaking their head.

“I wasn’t born like this. I had-” the angel caught themself, and Kageyama felt a twinge of guilt at that. Their shoulders rose, and declined as they pulled themself back together. “I was invited here by Victory-kun. He said someone wanted to talk to me,”  
  
Kageyama jolted. Victory actually went through with what he said? Kageyama had only— very casually, mind —said he wanted to meet the angel who he had danced with. How did Victory even find the angel? Who knows. A demon king’s position probably came with bells and whistles attached, like getting an angel from heaven to go with him. He opened his mouth under his mask, trying to figure out how to say ‘Yes, I invited you here because I wanted to thank you for that dance, you know, the Lune Event.’ All without sounding weird. Luckily—or unluckily, Victory chose that moment to stroll to Kageyama’s side and plop down on the grass beside him.  
  
“Karasu-chan! Meet our newest intern, Chibi-chan,” Victory smiled cheerfully, gesturing towards the angel. Kageyama turned to Hikaru with an open mouth.  
  
“You’re interning here? In Hell?” Kageyama turned to Victory, who smirked… well, victoriously.  
  
“I got them to approve Chibi-chan’s internship. All I had to do was wax poetic about how it would be great to establish a delegation of angels and devils, who represent the middle ground!” Victory smiled mischievously. Kageyama highly doubted that was Victory’s sole reason, but he let it slide. Hikaru was jumping up and down, and the moment they started talking, it was like a dam broke.  
  
“Woah! I get to intern in Hell? What do I do? Will I visit the castles? I heard they were really cool!” Hikaru chattered on, still bouncing up and down like a demented basketball. Their mask hitched up, and Kageyama caught a glimpse of a radiant smile before Hikaru pulled it back down again.

“I see no reason why you shouldn’t visit the castle now, to get acquainted with your new workplace,” Victory stood out and stretched out his hand. Hikaru grabbed onto one of them and Kageyama made to as well, but Victory held him at bay. “No no, Karasu-chan, you’re needed here,” Victory pulled back and waved cheerily, Hikaru copying his movements. “Ciao!” Both of them disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving a disgruntled Kageyama behind.

Kageyama felt distinctly left out, but he wandered into the grove, where books and pens were strewn across a grassy clearing. Victory had put him to work memorizing texts from their history, and Kageyama stifled a groan. This was more like school than he’d like to admit, and school was never fun. He stopped when he realized someone— or someone was examining his books. It looked up, and Kageyama realized it didn’t have a face. Or any sort of expressions for that matter.  
  
“Interesting. So you’re the one Good absolutely wanted me to take a look at,” it made a tsking sound and stepped away, examining Kageyama. He could feel its eyes on him, and it made him squirm. But he stood his ground, his signature scowl making its way onto his face.  
  
“Who do you think you are-”

“You don’t look much of a King to me.”  
  
That stopped Kageyama dead in his tracks. “Excuse me?” His voice was like ice, and his aura was beginning to slip out. It was a visible aura, dark blue in colour. Frost spread out from Kageyama’s feet, and his breath fanned out in swathes of mist in front of him. The dark creature chuckled, unaffected by his aura. It seemed almost amused by Kageyama’s antics.  
  
“You’re an interesting case. I wonder if Good has found the Queen.”

  


Good had not found their queen. Or where they were, for that matter. They had drifted into a castle, following their inner compass. They had a pinpoint of heat that swiveled and turned, but Good floated forward serenely. Finally, they chanced upon them. Good watched them from afar, observing how they chatted animatedly with a demon king, despite being only a fledgling. Good saw their chance when the fledgling excused themself, saying something about needing the restroom. They swept into the bathroom, ghosting through the walls.

Hinata clicked the door to his cubicle open, sighing in relief. He meandered over to the sink and spent a while marveling how the taps were so intricately carved they looked more like decorations that actual taps. He looked around and spotted a small butterfly fluttering at the shut window, and he pushed the glass open, cupping his hands around the bug and setting it outside.

“Hello, young Queen.”

Hinata spun around, coming face to face with an apparition of light. Huge wings sculpted from light arced from their back. They drifted forward, and Hinata noticed their feet weren’t there; it just dissolved into hazy light. He jumped backwards, raising his hands reflexively. “Who are you and what the heckie do you want?” he yelped, his wings raising slowly in a fight or flight instinct.  
  
“Fear not. I do not wish to harm you,” the being drifted closer, and Hinata’s wing brushed against their wing. He yelped and snapped his wings to his back. It burned. He’d never met anyone whose temperature rivalled his. “I am the embodiment of the abstract concept Good, and it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, future Queen.”

“Why do you keep calling me that? I’m not a queen,” Hinata was confused— supremely so. This strange angel had appeared without making a sound and started calling him queen. His knowledge of monarchy was extremely limited, but he was sure no man had ever been queen, and his family wasn’t descended from royalty or whatever you had to do to become a member of royalty.  
  
“Not yet,” Good agreed, stretching out an appendage of light which solidified into a hand. “But I could make you become one, if you so wished. You just have to say.”  
  
“Wait wait wait! Hold on, you’re telling me you can just—” Hinata snapped his fingers. “Make me a queen? Just like that?”  
  
“Indeed. You’d be the ruler of all angels.”  
  
“ _What._ ”

* * *

  


Hinata ran for the volleyball court when the bell rang, and he smuggled himself away in a tiny corner to wait for the rest of the team to move past him. Instinctively, he turned around and sighed, whether out of relief or disappointment, he wasn’t sure. A pillar of light hovered behind him, invisible to all but him. Good inclined their head, but said nothing. They had taken to following Hinata around, and after a week, he barely noticed them. Well…there was that time when he woke up to relieve himself…but if you asked him, that scream was from Natsu. He glanced at Good. “Are you sure they won’t know?”

“Trust me, young Queen. I will do anything to ensure they are shielded.”  
  
Hinata willed his wings into existence and nervously changes into his jersey, purposely dawdling. When he reached the court, he took a deep breath and wiped his clammy hands on his shorts. Too late to turn back now. He threw the doors open and strode in confidently, cringing internally when everyone turned to look at him.  
  
“Shouyou late for volleyball practice? What’s gotten into you?” Nishinoya yelled, rushing over to place his hand on Hinata’s forehead. Suga chuckled, moving towards Hinata. For a moment, Suga’s eyes flickered down to his wings and back up to his halo and Hinata’s heart nearly stopped. But Daichi broke the spell, calling for everyone to gather around and for the love of god, stop fighting, you two.

“Alright everyone! We’ve beaten Shiratorizawa, but our battle has just begun. We’re headed towards nationals, and there’ll be stronger players there,” Daichi surveyed the sea of grim faces before him and cracked a small grin. “But we’re going to show them just how far we’ve flown. So practice, practice and practice, but be sure to rest up! Your body has to be peak condition for the matches ahead!”

“Yeah!!” A chorus of cheers greeted Daichi, and he smiled to himself as the team dispersed to their own little groups to practice.  
  
“You’re good at this, Daichi,” Suga moved to stand beside him. Together, they watched the team yelling at each other good-naturedly, feeling a sense of warmth tinged with nostalgia. He wouldn’t voice it out, but the fact that they were third years  
  
“Daichi-san, look out!”

Daichi’s eyes widened as the volleyball sped towards his face. He shifted his stance, his mind running a million scenarios an hour. How was he going to receive this? He blinked, and then the ball was bouncing away from him. Hinata stood in front of him, back facing Daichi. He heard Suga inhale sharply, but other than that, the gym was silent as they watch the ball settle down.  
  
“Nice receive Shouyou!” Nishinoya pumped his fist in the air, running forward to thump Hinata on the back.

“Oi Tanaka, do you want a repeat of our match against Wakutani South?”

“Shut up!”

Daichi glanced at Suga and realized he was still staring at Hinata with a strange expression on his face. Daichi tapped him on the shoulder and he caught shock, awe and happiness flickering across Suga’s face before the silver haired male snapped his mouth shut and beamed at Daichi.  
  
“I’m fine,” Suga turned back to the court and Daichi noted his eyes were glimmering. He turned to join his team in practice, wondering what it was that Suga had seen.

* * *

  


“Hinata. A word in private please?” Hinata jumped violently, choking on the contents of his bottle. Suga thumped him on the back while he sputtered and hacked.  
  
“Okay,” Hinata wheezed, following Suga as he moved away a little from the rest. His heart was screeching, and he glanced weakly at Good, who nodded in confirmation. He followed along mutely, feeling slightly nervous. Did he see? Somehow?  
  
“Hinata. You don’t have to be afraid,” Suga sounded slightly amused, and he turned and flashed an encouraging smile.

Hinata gulped and tried to settle his heart, which felt like he was trying to perform the Heimlich maneuver on himself. Right now, they were on the other side of the gym, and Hinata couldn’t help but wonder if he was going to get called out for his tardiness.  
  
“So. You’re an angel, huh?”

Hinata’s jaw slackened, and he stared at Suga. “I-”

“No, no. I understand. You can’t talk about it. That’s fine, since we are sworn to an oath of secrecy, aren’t we?” Suga had a mischievous smirk plastered across his face and he raised a finger to his lips. “Let’s keep this a secret, shall we? I have no desire of getting into trouble with the higher ups.”

Hinata nodded mutely. He had never taken Suga for an angel, but he’d be lying if the thought hadn’t crossed his mind.

“Haiiro. That’s my angel name.”

“Hikaru,” Hinata felt like he had woken up from a long sleep and was immediately told to sit for an English test.

This incident got him thinking. Who else in Karasuno was a Celestial? Often, he would let his mind wander, but he got no further in this particular train of thought. He threw himself, mind, heart and soul into practicing for the nationals. Oh, and for tests too.

* * *

  


Kageyama’s eye twitched, the gesture going unseen under his mask. Hikaru had been watching him. It wasn’t like they were making any attempts to hide either; they were perched on a tree, their mask turned to him. He snapped his book shut and stormed towards the tree where he glared up, hoping his aura would be enough to convey his displeasure. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing whatever Victory-san’s asking you to do?”

“He asked me to ask you. So what do you have for me to do?”

“Didn’t he give you _any_ instructions at all?”

“Nope!”

“You can read one of my books, I guess,” Kageyama muttered, moving back to his spot and pushing the pile of books and papers forward. Hikaru fluttered down, and even at a distance, he could feel his fiery aura seeping into his bones and warming him to the core. He peered up over the edge of his book and observed the angel’s actions. Their actions were jerky and full of tension, and when Kageyama flicked his page, the angel flinched. “Oi, stop being so jittery. I’m not going to eat you.”

“But- they said…”

“Yeah, whatever your superiors said about devils are wrong, so forget about the stupid stories,” Kageyama didn’t mention that he had thought angels were otherworldly beings who could kill merely by wishing it. He heard the riffling of pages, and the source of heat settled closer to him.  
  
“How do you know?”

Kageyama frowned. “What?”

“How do you know that the stories are wrong?”

“Well I met you, didn’t I? And you’re nothing like what I’d expect an angel to be.”

Hikaru smacked Kageyama across his arm and crossed their arms. “Karasu, you’re a big meanie!” He announced, his voice triumphant like they’d figured out the secret of life.

“What the fuck did you say?” He couldn’t help it; Kageyama’s frigid aura gushed out, smothering the two of them in an ice bath. He squeezed his eyes shut, desperately trying to control the cold. Frost crackled over his arms and fingers, and his entire body was wracked with shivers. He couldn’t feel Hikaru’s customary warmth, and that scared the milk out of him. He caught hints of honeyed citrus and a fresh, creamy smell. Something touched him, and he jumped. Slowly, he opened his eyes and glanced around in the darkness.  
  
“I told you. You’re cold,” Hikaru was still standing where they had been, their arms crossed. They looked as though liquid fire was coursing through their veins, and every single strand of their hair was alight. They moved closer, and Kageyama watched in a trance. Their wings were burning up, turning black at the edges, and slowly spreading upwards, turning the feathers to soot. They reached out and put a hand on Kageyama’s arm, and the frost turned to steam. Hikaru stepped closer and crouched beside Kageyama, dragging their fingers upwards slowly. The hiss of water filled the air, and clouds of steam filled the air, only to turn into snow. Kageyama swallowed, a rich, honeyed filling the air around the two of them. Hikaru tilted their face and regarded Kageyama before they put both their hands into Kageyama’s.

“Try to relax, or you’ll end up freezing the whole of hell.”

There was a hint of amusement when Hikaru said that, and their wings unfolded from their back. Kageyama’s eyes widened when he caught on to what they were going to do. He opened his mouth, probably to shout at Hikaru to stop, but the angel tensed, and with a powerful leap, they were climbing, spiraling into the air. Kageyama might have screamed.

“Relax! I won’t drop you; I’m the best flyer in the whole of heaven,” Hinata jutted his chin out proudly, sweeping through the puffy white clouds in Victory’s region. Karasu settled into quiet complaint, but that soon disappeared. Hinata felt the burning cold fade away from Karasu’s grasp, and he breathed a sigh of relief. His arms had felt like frozen fish fingers, and he thought Karasu was going to pull them off.  
  
“Young queen. Are you enjoying your flight?”

Hinata almost screamed. He turned around, and realized the abstract concept of Good was flying beside him, keeping pace with him. “What are you doing here?” He shouted, thanking the winds which snatched his words away.

“I was always with you. And you are an excellent flyer, young queen.”

Hinata huffed and turned back in front just to avoid flying face first into Victory’s palace. He yelled and banked to his left hard, narrowly missing a spike and instead depositing the two of them onto a balcony. They lay on the smooth marble floor, their chests heaving. Karasu recovered first and staggered over to him on unsteady legs.  
  
“Dumbass! We could have died! Best flyer in heaven my ass!” Karasu roared, his fists trembling like he wanted to hit something.

“I am the best flyer! Among the fledglings!” Hinata protested, scrambling to his feet and dodging Karasu’s swing. It wasn’t his fault that he couldn’t fly properly! Everything was going smoothly until Good showed up. “Where are we, anyway?” He quickly asked, trying to change the topic. It worked, somewhat. Karasu glanced around, his mask hanging lopsidedly on his face. Hinata’s fingers twitched, and he had the irrational urge to straighten it.  
  
“We’re in Victory-san’s palace. This must be one of the guest bedrooms,” Karasu stepped into the room, his head constantly turning from side to side. “Come on!” He hissed, waving Hinata towards him. Hinata followed meekly, looking around. The room was decorated in shades of lake green, with silver details. The door burst open and Victory strode in, pausing with his hand on the doorknob and his mouth half-opened.  
  
“Oh my. Is this a bad time?” A demon beside Oikawa bowed her head demurely. She glanced at Hinata and offered him a small smile. She wasn’t wearing a mask, so that meant she was a full demon. Her horns were small, and they could be mistaken for tufts of unruly hair. Victory’s face split into a razor sharp smile.  
  
“Not at all, but could you please excuse us?” The demon nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind her quietly. Victory turned to Hinata and Karasu, and his next words were delivered with a brilliant smile and was practically dripping with venom. “Please explain why you were in my esteemed guest’s room.”


	3. Chance

Hinata swallowed, painfully aware that Victory was boring holes into his head. He ducked down and muttered, “I tried to fly Karasu and me around your domain, but I crashed.”

“Oh, is that so?” Victory touched a finger to his lips and hummed thoughtfully. Hinata snuck a peek at Karasu and was surprised to see him standing ramrod straight, staring Victory in the eyes. “Is this true, Karasu-chan?” Hinata turned his face towards Karasu, watching his next reaction.  
  
“Yeah. The dumbass nearly smashed us against a wall, and then swerved and fell here,” Karasu growled, turning towards Hinata. Even through the mask, Hinata could feel the bone chilling glare he was getting from him.  
  
‘ _Dear Kami-sama, just let me live through this day._ ’ Hinata pleaded silently. He didn’t want to die by the hands of two demons. He still hadn’t gotten to play centre court yet! He straightened to meet Victory’s gaze and nodded along to what Karasu was saying, chirping affirmatives when Karasu turned to him to confirm something. In the end, Victory released them with the condition of joining him and his guest for dinner. Hinata had a sneaking suspicion that they were going to have a sequel of the talking to, and as a result, he didn’t eat much. Karasu, however, plagued Victory with questions and shoveled food under his mask.

“So, Chibi-chan-”

“It’s Hikaru, Victory-san.”  
  
“Hush now, Chibi-chan. Now, as I was going to say,” Victory lifted a finger. “How goes your internship?”  
  
“You haven’t given me anything to do though?”  
  
“Hm, so I haven’t. Well, your job is follow Karasu-chan around. He’s going to teach you about the history of hell.”

“What!?” Karasu roared and slammed his hand on the table, sending ice racing across the polished surface of the table. Hinata yelped and jumped up from the table. The ice swept into spikes that impaled the spot where Hinata was sitting previously.

Victory tutted and swept his hand across the ice, transforming them into streams of water that slid fluidly off the table. “Really, Karasu-chan. I had hoped Chibi-chan here would have helped you with that nasty temper of yours.”

“What?” Hinata tilted his head, confused. Temper? Was that what they called Karasu’s outbursts? Those weren’t normal tantrums, that was for sure. Karasu seemed like he’d been frozen; he was just standing there.

“I’m leaving,” Karasu shoved his chair away from the table and stormed off, and for the first time, Hinata noticed a dark blue, almost black cloud hanging around Karasu. They heard an explosive sound and Hinata flinched, but Victory didn’t even bat an eye.  
  
“You see it too, right?” He turned to Victory and nodded mutely. “That’s the power of the demon king of Wrath.”

“Karasu-kun’s a demon king!?” Hinata sputtered, hardly believing his ears.

“God no, hell knows what’s going to happen if he were one,” Victory waved away Hinata’s concerns airily. “No, that’s the nickname people give him. When he’s mad, he releases this suffocating aura that smothers your scent. People usually run when he does that, since it’s pretty overwhelming.”  
  
“Isn’t he a demon? Why does he have such a strong scent?”

“He’s a devil, actually. But Karasu-chan does act like he’s above his station, doesn’t he?”

“If I may, Victory-sama,” The demon who was a guest of Victory spoke up. “I think that Karasu-kun has long ago made it to the demon stage already; he just might not know it.”

“Really? I’ll have to check. Chibi-chan, do you want to come with us? It’d be a once in a lifetime experience.”  
  
Hinata was already up and bouncing lightly on his heels. “Uwahh! Thank you Victory-san!”

“Just Victory is fine, Chibi-chan.

* * *

Kageyama had never felt such blinding rage before. He felt the aura roaring around him, forming a protective barrier to shield him. He stormed into his room, slamming the door so hard he felt it rattle on its hinges. His fingers fumbled with the mask before he simply ripped it off and threw it against the wall. He dimly heard ice crackling across the floor and crawling hungrily up the walls. Why did Victory have to reveal this in front of Hikaru? It didn’t matter that they already went through one of his tantrums with him, he wanted to tell them himself. He growled in frustration, but froze when he heard his door creak.

“Karasu-chan? Did you freeze the door shut again?”

Oh great. It was Victory.

“He froze the door? I can fly through a window?” Kageyama stilled. ‘ _Why the hell is Hikaru here?_ ’ Ice spread further up the walls, and Kageyama noticed the black figure again. It was standing in the corner of his room, unaffected by the ice.  
  
“So, our king cannot control his power? I could help you. Let me crown you king, and I promise, all this will stop.” It whispered, stepping forward. The ice parted before it, and Kageyama watched with hazy eyes as it stepped forward. When it registered a lack of response, it reached out towards Kageyama, darkness solidifying into a hand.  
  
“Get away from Karasu-kun!!”  
  
Kageyama’s eyes flew open and he stumbled backwards as a fiery meteorite crash landed between him and the black creature, who withdrew their hand. Hikaru was crouched in front of Kageyama, and they were literally on fire. Orange flames licked at their wings, and the warmth they emitted was palpable, almost as though it was wrapping around Kageyama and protecting him. The creature stepped back and for a long moment, no one moved.  
  
“So you’re the queen Good chose. I can’t say I disagree; I’ve never seen a more hot-blooded angel before.” Its face split into a painfully wide grin, and it leered at Hikaru. “Oh this will be fun.”

“Chibi-chan! Are you and Karasu-chan okay?” The door burst open, and Victory stepped inside. His eyes jumped from Kageyama’s bedraggled form, to Hikaru’s steaming form, and finally, their surroundings. Kageyama hadn’t realized how bad the damage was. Ice had melted into water, and it had gotten everywhere. Books had fallen off the shelves and their pages were bloated with water. The bed was in a similar situation, and the covers were a bedraggled heap. Kageyama waited for Victory to exclaim about Evil standing there, but to his utter astonishment, he said nothing at all. He turned back and realized that Evil had disappeared.

“Your tempers have gotten worse, Karasu-chan.” Victory tutted, sweeping his hand in front of him. Water surged towards him, disappearing in front of his palms. Books mended themselves and flew back up onto the shelves, and the bed made itself. “Really, I have to stop wasting my magic on you.” He tutted, stepping towards Kageyama and hauling him back up on his feet. Hikaru watched silently, his body tilted imperceptibly towards Kageyama.

“Kageyama-kun, your mask.” Hikaru handed him his mask, and he quickly fixed it back in place. Only then did the magnitude of those words catch up with him. Kageyama? The angel knew him? Was it someone from Karasuno? He opened his mouth to ask, but then thought the better of it. No, it was probably a mistake. His name did have some similarities to its devil counterpart, and he was disoriented. It was probably due to him mishearing. He blamed it on his tantrum.

Hinata was having a mini heart attack under his mask. Kageyama was a devil? He bit his lip. Should he say that he saw Kageyama’s face? Thank god he was faced away from Kageyama the whole time. Who was going to be next, the Grand King? He stilled as a thought hit him with the force of a freight train. Did Kageyama know his secret? Even worse, he had accidentally let slip Kageyama’s name. But Kara- Kageyama didn’t seem to notice, fastening on his mask and nodding to Hinata. “Thank you Hikaru.”

“O-oh! No problem Karasu-kun!” Hinata did an awkward looking bow and fiddled with the collar of his shirt. His hands were sweaty; would Kageyama notice? He was currently chatting with Victory, and they said something about testing Kageyama.  
  
“Yahoo~ Chibi-chan, we’re going to start the test,” Victory waved a hand in front of Hinata, stepping towards Kageyama’s side.  
  
“Right!”

Victory nodded and turned to Kageyama, his hands hovering over the devil’s head. He traced the grooves in Kageyama’s horns, and they glowed red. They flashed twice and darkened to a royal red. Victory put down his hands and stepped back. “Karasu-chan,” he began. “You’re now a demon. Congratulations.” His voice was devoid of any emotion, and he kept his expression carefully flat. Kageyama bowed towards Victory, Hikaru began to feel slightly uncomfortable. Was there some sort of inner conflict between Kageyama and Victory?

“I’ll…I’ll take my leave now?” Hinata’s voice came out more of a squeak than he intended it to. Receiving no reply, he hurried out of the room and closed the door behind him.  
  
“Congratulations on advancing to an angel,” The demon stepped out from a corner of the corridor. She inclined her head. “I’m Kira, and I hope we will get along.” And with that, she was gone in a swish of skirts. Hinata shook his head, slightly dazed, and launched himself out of a nearby window.

It had only been five minutes after he left, when Hinata spiraled into his room through his window. He barely had time to hide his wings before Natsu burst into his room. “Nii-chan! Mom said to take a shower and come for dinner, she’s making egg on rice to celebrate!”  
  
“Really? Okay, I’ll be there soon!” Natsu raced out of his room, and Hinata set about getting ready for dinner. He regaled the dining table with tales of his best moments against Shiratorizawa, embellished here and there. Natsu waved her spoon around, chatting about how she told her friends her brother was going to be on TV. Cheerful voices rang out until it was time for bed, and the Hinata household darkened.

* * *

Hinata peered down either ends of the corridors, clutching his volleyball tightly. It was technically morning, and he wanted to get in a few hours of practice. He snuck out and unlocked the door, each click of the door ringing like thunder through the empty house. Softly, he shut the door and set off to school. He pedaled slowly, and he was joined by Kageyama. They moved towards Karasuno silently, comfortable with the atmosphere.He waited for Hinata as he locked up his bike, and they bumped the ball back and forth between the two of them for a while, until Tanaka came around to unlock the clubroom.

“Oh man! Noya owes me 200 yen,” he cackled, unlocking the door and tucking the key into his pocket. “Knock yourselves out. I’m going to…” He gestured vaguely over his shoulder and left, singing an unfamiliar song under his breath.

Hinata looked over at Kageyama, his eyes shining in that way that Kageyama knew all too well. He huffed and stomped into the gym, taking the position of the setter. “Well?” He demanded. Hinata whooped and dashed in, flashing a brilliant smile at Kageyama. He tossed the ball up for Kageyama to set, then dashed to the net and jumped.

Kageyama’s eyes widened. No, that wasn’t true. Hinata was flying. He knew that Hinata had insanely quick reflexes, and his jump height was nothing to sneeze at either. But this was different. He hung in the air, suspended by invisible strings. The ball stopped in front of his hand and Hinata slammed it onto the other court with a resounding “BAM!”

“Uwohh!! That spike felt really good!” Hinata stared his palm, enclosing it into a fist, maybe to try and remember the feeling.

“Oi, have you been practicing your jump?” Kageyama jogged over to the ball, picking it up and tossing It up and down. Hinata looked at him, cocking his head to the side.

“Why? No, I haven’t.”

Mercifully, the school bell saved Kageyama from this line of interrogation. He tossed the ball into the cart, where it joined the rest. “It’s nothing. Let’s get to class.”

* * *

“Kageyama!! I’m so going to beat your jump height!” Hinata announced, hopping up and down. He had lost miserably in terms of height, and this was his one chance to redeem himself. Kageyama smirked, looking down at the smaller boy. “Try then, if you can.”

“Kageyama-kun!” Yachi called, waving to the raven haired male. Kageyama dipped his fingers into the chalk dust and exhaled, glancing at the backboard. High, and fast. He took off, jumping and reaching out to slap his fingers on the backboard. Behind him, he heard whispering from the basketball guys start up, and he couldn’t wait to look at their faces when they saw Hinata jump. Kageyama backed up, dusting his fingers off on his pants.

“337cm!” Yachi called out from the top of the stepladder, moving down gingerly. “Hinata-kun!” she waved him over, and he nodded.

Kageyama watched as Hinata dipped his fingers in chalk dust, wondering if he was going to do that super high jump again. Hinata’s whole body was bunched up like an athlete at the starting line. A silent starting gun went off, and Hinata blurred forward, his body tilting forward and his arms swinging backwards. He stopped for a millisecond and lunged upward, rapidly swallowing the distance between him and Kageyama’s fingerprints. He slapped his hand onto the backboard and dropped down.

"How high was it? Did I beat Kageyama?” He asked, practically vibrating with excitement. Kageyama could hear the disbelieving mutters from the basketball team, and he felt a twinge of pride. ‘You’re talking about the next little giant.’

“Patience, Hinata. Yachi’s still measuring,” Yamaguchi chided gently, holding the stepladder steady. 

“333cm!” Yachi called out, to the general disbelief of half the company. 

“Asahi-san, that’s about your jump height, isn’t it?” Suga teased, nudging Asahi gently.

“I- yes,” Asahi admitted, looking slightly guilty. “I think he’s jumping higher.”

“It’s probably because you didn’t come to practice for a whole month,” Daichi called Asahi out, crossing his arms and watching as the rest of the team measured their jump heights. 

“Yeah, it’s probably because of that too,” Suga chipped in, smiling benignly.

“You guys…stop ganging up on me,” Asahi pleaded. He was about to say more, but Takeda skidded into the gym, out of breath and disheveled. He composed himself before addressing the team.

“Listen up! After our match against Shiratorizawa, two students of ours have been scouted.” Takeda turned to Kageyama and beamed. “Kageyama, you have been selected as a representative to attend to the All-Japan youth camp.” The team was thunderstruck, and Hinata ground his teeth in frustration. But wait. Takeda-sensei said two students, so maybe he was the second one?

“Takeda-sensei, who’s the second student?” Hinata asked hopefully. This didn’t go unnoticed by Kageyama, who gave him a gloating look. Takeda adjusted his glasses and glanced down at his papers.

“Well, the second student to be selected is Tsukishima. Washijo-sensei is creating a training camp of sorts, to be held at Shiratorizawa Academy.” Takeda smiled apologetically at Hinata. “I’m sorry Hinata.”

“Spring Interhigh is around the corner, so I might give it a-”

“Try your best Tsukishima!” Daichi smirked at Tsukishima, who clicked his tongue but said nothing.

Hinata was struggling to project a picture of serenity and calm outwards. “Isn’t there anyone else who was chosen?” he asked, trying not to make it sound like he was begging. From the apologetic look on Takeda’s face and the smug look on Kageyama’s face, he guessed he only half succeeded.

“I’m sorry, Hinata. They were the only two chosen.”

“Hey,” Hinata looked up at Kageyama, already anticipating the gloating look on his face. “I’m going on ahead.”

Hinata growled in frustration. Why were Kageyama and Tsukishima the chosen ones? I mean, I get that they were good, but wasn’t he as well? He wanted to do something, anythg to help himself out.

Even if it meant sneaking into the camp.


	4. Pure Poison

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tsukishima's POV was a blast to write, I hope you find it fun to read as well 0v0 
> 
> Also, I'm slowly changing it so that Hinata's POV features more now :P

"You're not supposed to be here, are you?"

Tsukishima groaned inwardly. Why? Why did that shrimp decide to sneak in? He risked a glance towards Hinata and noticed his smile. It was forced, and stretching a little too wide. He’s scared, Tsukishima noted. And rightfully so, since he had snuck in with Tsukishima, and Tsukishima felt the urge to de-stress. It’s fine, no one was going to make the connection—

“Hey, aren’t you Karasuno’s number 10?” A boy with his hair cut in a bowl hair cut stepped out, pointing at Hinata.

Hinata jumped and waved awkwardly. “Hey! Uhm… Hi Tsukishima,” he tried for an attempt at nonchalance.

Tsukishima was appalled. The nerve of him to do that.

Tsukishima turned on Hinata, anger threatening to completely blow his cool front completely. “You…idiot! Moron, why did you sneak in here, huh? You could have gone to Kageyama’s, but nooo. Idiotic dumbass!” Tsukishima had never before felt such an urge to commit manslaughter.

“Wow, I guess the cool-headed blocker does lose his cool sometimes. What a vocabulary,” someone murmured behind him.

Hinata blinked, and opened his stupid mouth. “You said I would get arrested if I went to Kageyama’s camp, so I came here.”

Tsukishima almost laughed. Oh my god. He snuck in here, because he would have a guaranteed trip to jail if he snuck in there? Tsukishima felt himself teetering on the border of hysteria, and he would have attacked that idiotic creature had the teacher not mercifully removed him from the court. He seethed as he watched the sun bob cheerfully off the court, and he took some time to cool off. He hoped that Hinata would be kicked out, but knowing his charming personality, Hinata was probably going to make a place for himself in the camp. When Hinata came back, he had a strange aura around him: He seemed defeated, but he had that gleam in his eyes that meant he was going to make the best of it. Tsukishima hated it.

“Pleasure to make your acquaintance!” Hinata yelled, bowing to the group. He straightened up, and took a deep breath. “I’ll be the ball boy!!”

Tsukishima sighed deeply. Why. Why him?

Over the next few days, Tsukishima watched Hinata like a hawk. He didn’t participate in the games, but he did watch them. Why Hinata stayed was beyond Tsukishima. Washijo-sensei had made it very clear he wasn’t going to tolerate him, so he could leave anytime.

Tsukishima felt his blood pressure rise every time he saw Hinata, but at least they kept out of each others’ way. They didn’t speak much, other than those two times when Hinata stayed back to play ball boy to practice.

* * *

The last day of the training camp rolled around, and Hinata couldn’t help feeling a pang of sadness, even if he wasn’t invited. He had made plenty of friends here, and he had even learnt a new technique. He shouldered his pack and headed off, but stopped when someone shouted his name.

“Hinata!!” Koganegawa approached him, waving his flip phone around. “Let’s exchange contacts!”

“Okay! I’ll send you a message!” Hinata pulled his phone out and typed in the number shown to him by Koganegawa, then proceeded to flood the chat with emojis and emoticons indiscriminately.

“Thanks Hinata! It was nice meeting you here!” Koganegawa returned Hinata’s wave and ran off, receding into a speck in the distance. Hinata looked at the bare trees above him. The Spring Interhigh was approaching, and fast.

‘ _Man, I really want a meat bun_.’ Hinata thought, making his way to the bus station. He breathed onto his hands to try and warm them, wishing he had his bike so he could get home faster. At least the bus would be warm. The bus rumbled towards the station, and Hinata jumped on, settling down into a seat. It would be a long ride. His eyelids drooped as he stared out the window at the scenery blurring past. Just a small nap. He needed it, since he took this trip all the time. It’ll be okay… The bus conductor would wake him up.

* * *

“Hey kid, are you getting off? This is the last stop.”

Hinata blinked blearily, clutching at his bag. The sky outside was fading to black, and the driver was standing over him. “Say what?” he mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

“It’s the last stop, and you’re the only person left on the bus,” the bus driver jabbed his finger out. “Best get going kid. It’s getting dark.”

Hinata stumbled off the bus and onto the sidewalk, where he stood for a while before the conversation caught up to him. “Oh poop!” He yelped, looking around frantically. “Where am I supposed to go… oh my god!” Don’t panic, Hinata. You got this, just breathe. Okay, take stock. Hinata dug through his bag, checking his meagre supplies out. No good, there was school tomorrow. He needed to get home, and fast. Frustrated, he yelled out loud, scaring some birds. They fluttered off, leaving a few stray feathers on the ground. He stared at them for a while before things clicked in his head.

Hinata almost slapped himself. How could he be so stupid? He had wings, for crying out loud! Quickly, he readjusted his bag and summoned his wings. They looked bigger, and now, they didn’t glow white anymore. The colour was slowly darkening, or maybe that was just the sun setting.

“Here I go,” he muttered, taking a run up and launching himself into the air. He climbed quickly, afraid someone was going to see him. It wasn’t until he was safely above the clouds then did he slow down his frantic flying to a leisurely glide. At this rate, Hinata estimated that he would reach home in fifteen minutes. ‘What if I dive bomb Kageyama? He wouldn’t know it was me.’ Hinata thought idly, dropping altitude until he could clearly see the houses below him. ‘Now, what does Kageyama’s house look like again?’

“Kageyama’s house is the one with the black car and the grey outer walls, young queen.”

“Thank you, Good.”

“My pleasure.”

Hinata exhaled and looked at the small creature soaring next to him. He had asked— no, pleaded with Good to take on a different form, because Good appearing in a blast of fiery light was not good for his health and lifespan. So now, Good appeared in the form of a tiny orb of light, flitting around like a firefly.

Hinata tucked his wings in and dove, thanking the gods that his wings no longer emitted a glow. If anyone glanced at him, they would mistake him for a large bird. Aha. Kageyama was taking out the trash, and he was a good distance away from his house. He landed silently on a nearby lamp post, watching Kageyama toss the trash bag into the dumpster and shuffle back towards the house. Hinata pulled his mask on and dropped off the post, landing on the dumpster.

Kageyama whirled around, his face missing its customary frown. He opened his mouth to say something, but his eyes were riveted to the wings unfurling from Hinata’s back. Internally, Hinata wanted to take a photo of Kageyama’s face, but he just tilted his head and stared at Kageyama. After a long time, where Kageyama looked like he was trying to swallow a lemon, he finally spoke.

“Am I dead?”

Hinata had to hold himself back from laughing. Oh my god, was Kageyama for real? Seeing an angel doesn’t mean you’re dead. You might end up in hell, then you’d see a demon king. But whatever. Kageyama was such a dork sometimes. Hinata shook his head, and Kageyama visibly relaxed.

“Then why are you here? Is this some sort of sick joke?” Kageyama stepped forward, but the moment he got close, he stiffened and all the colour in his face drained out. Hinata puzzled over the fact, before he realized something. Something so fundamental, he didn’t know why he hadn’t thought of it. His scent. Kageyama probably recognized it, but he was supposed to act like he didn’t know Hinata.

Talk about a dilemma.

Hinata could smell it too: a sweet, spiced scent wafting in the air. He guessed that it was Kageyama’s scent, though he wasn’t too sure. It didn’t smell exactly like the one he caught wind of at the Shiratorizawa match, so maybe that wasn’t it. But the smell shifted, changing into a faint scent of vanilla. Hinata inhaled deeply, sighing. Definitely Kageyama’s scent then. He hadn’t expected Kageyama’s scent to be so smooth, so sweet, so…so tame.

“Young queen. Your mother will wonder where you are. Should we not get back?”

With a start, Hinata realized he had been leaning forward. He quickly fixed his mask and tensed, preparing to launch himself into lower orbit so he could contemplate his life choices.

“Wait! Who the heck are you?”

‘ _Really, Kageyama? You had to say that._ ’ Hinata pouted. “You know who I am, Kageyama.” And with that, he slammed his feet against the cold plastic of the dumpster and took off, leaving a single feather floating to the ground.

High above the clouds, Hinata released the breath he had been holding. “That was fun! Man, I wish I could take a photo of Kageyama’s face when he saw me! He was so shocked!” Hinata laughed, turning to Good. It remained silent for a while, before giving a small hum of assent.

“It was indeed interesting.”

Hinata could sense something else behind the words, but he let it drop. He wanted to jumped into his bed and crash for the night, then race Kageyama to the gym in the morning. With that in mind, he folded his wings and dropped like a stone, landing a little way away from his house so he could act like he didn’t just fly home.  
“I’m home!”

“Nii-chan! How was your camp? Was it fun?” Natsu immediately accosted her older sibling, plaguing him with questions which he cheerfully answered.

“Okay, enough questions for now, Natsu. I’m going to go and shower, I’m all sweaty and stuff.”

* * *

“Oi, Hinata. How do you jump?”

Hinata glanced at Kageyama, who stood next to him, volleyball in his hands. “Jump?”

“Yes, jump. Where do you focus your impact?”

Hinata thought long and hard. Where? How would he know? He jumped instinctively, and it’s not like he documented each jump of his. “In my legs?”

“No, you dumbass! It’s like, argh—” Kageyama slammed the ball down onto the hardwood floor, and Hinata flinched. “I saw a little giant at the training camp I went to. Your jumps are like, boing boing. His were like, BAM!”  
Hinata stared at Kageyama with uncomprehending eyes. What a terrible choice of sound effects. He was about to open his mouth to say something witty, but Kageyama cut him off again.

“Next time, try putting all the pressure on the heels of your feet.” Kageyama stepped back and spun the volleyball around. “I’ll toss to you.”

Hinata gaped at Kageyama. This was one of the few times that Kageyama voluntarily offered to toss to Hinata, and he’ll be damned if he was going to let this opportunity go to waste. What could go wrong, right? As it turns out, a lot.

* * *

“Dumbass! Jump with the heels of your feet!”

Hinata ground his teeth, yelping when Kageyama yanked hard at his hair and nearly lifted him off his feet. “Alright, alright! I’ll try again.” He huffed, tossing the ball to Kageyama and running towards the net. Heels of the feet, heels of the feet, Hinata chanted mentally, stopping before the net. He transferred all of his weight and momentum to his heels, and lunged upwards. His fingertips levelled with the top of the net, then soared higher.

“Go home!” Hinata’s head swiveled towards the barred windows, and he realized Daichi was gripping the bars, his knuckles white against the metal. His face was twisted in that scowl that told them he was serious, and Kageyama and Hinata started mopping up the court and locked up, hurrying home. They didn’t say anything when they parted, but both of them had one clear thought in their heads: Spring Interhigh was going to be where they stood on the centre court.

* * *

Hinata would look back on the first Spring Interhigh they had with fond memories, but when they were actually playing, there was nothing warm and fuzzy about it. After every match, bone deep fatigue would sink into their very souls, and they would eat a meal, watch a few matches and fall asleep. Hinata had thought he would be awake until dawn thinking about volleyball, but the moment his head touched the pillow and he closed his eyes, it was already morning, and he was being shaken awake. Throughout the whole of the Interhigh, Good had visited him in his dreams.

“My queen, if you do not claim your title now, you will be consumed by the magic we gifted you. The king has been found, although he is in a similar predicament as you. You need to acknowledge us.”

“What? What do you mean? And I don’t know what you mean by claiming my title!” Hinata had cried out desperately.

But Good had said no more, and Hinata forgot about that dream, throwing himself into the Interhigh.

That is, until he felt the heat.

“Hinata, are you okay?”

He looked up, Kageyama swimming in and out of his vision, replaced by Tsukishima, his face pursed into something that looked suspiciously like worry. He tried to get back up, he really did. But his bones felt like iron sheets had been wrapped around them. He couldn’t.

“I-”

The shrill sound of the buzzer sounded, and Hinata was carried to the side. It was a fever, and a bad one. But he knew better. It wasn’t fever. It was the magic.  
‘ _No. Nononononononono NO!_ ’ Hinata thought frantically, trying to push himself upright again.

‘ _I am sorry, my queen. I warned you._ ’

‘ _Damn you!_ ’

“No! I- I can still move! I can still play! Please!” Hinata pleaded, grabbing onto Takeda’s hand.  
‘ _His hand is ice cold._ ’  
Even before the answer came, he knew it. He could feel it, in the sympathetic gazes his teammates had on their faces.

“Hinata. Look at me.”

Hinata forced his eyes to meet Takeda’s steel-grey ones. He could play! He just needed a little rest, maybe some water. The fever would break. It always broke.

“You cannot play. Volleyball is a game where you have to be tall, do you understand?”

Hinata did. He always knew, deep down. You had to be tall to play volleyball. Short people were more suited to be liberos. But the Little Giant… He broke those expectations. And Hinata wanted to as well. He so desperately wanted to play, to jump, to fly.

“But-”

“No.” Takeda-sensei’s reply was quiet, but firm. “I mean it Hinata. You, of all people have to be in tip-top condition to play. Rest. Sit the match out.”

Hinata was crushed. He looked around and saw his teammates. They were all worried. He didn’t want them to worry. He’d be fine. He cast desperate glances around, but they simply apologized with their glances and fidgeting.

_We're sorry._

It was Tsukishima who spoke out loud first.

“Jeez, just take a break already. Knowing your endurance, you’ll be fine after a night’s rest,” he sighed, massaging his temples.

“Yeah! Just you wait Shouyou, we’ll win the nationals for you!”

The rest of the team picked up, murmuring various encouragements. Hinata felt a sob build up in his chest, and he let it out. It was followed by another, again and again until Hinata hurt from crying. He could faintly hear someone calling out his name, but when he turned back to the court, all he could see were sparkling lights, beckoning him with faint, but dazzling promises. He turned away, but stopped when something touched him. A cool, dark fragrance curled around him, and the sensation on his back was heavenly. It felt like ice was pressed against his feverish skin, and the smell was soothing. It was earthy and cool and fresh and alive, and it coiled protectively around Hinata, keening mournfully. He could feel his own scent uncoiling like it was a living thing, and it touched the cooler scent. As soon as it did, it withdrew, leaving Hinata with a minty feeling. Every inch of his skin prickled like someone had swiped rubbing alcohol across his skin.

“Change out of your damp clothes, Hinata!” Yachi had donned a mask, and she was holding a pile of clothes. Hinata peeled off his damp jersey, pulling on the new clothes.

“Shouyou.”

Hinata looked up, seeing Kenma standing a little way away.

“Hey Kenma. What brings you here?”

Kenma’s lips pulled upwards slightly, and he held out his hands in front of him. “I brought something for a friend.” In his hand was a tablet, with a live stream of the game. Hinata looked towards the court, but the doors were shut, letting nothing out and nothing in. He turned his attention to the game on the tablet, and he was right there with them. He saw the opponent’s plays, their feints, their wins. He cheered with Karasuno when they scored, and felt his resolve harden when they lost a point. And he cried with them when they lost.

Karasuno had made it far on their first Interhigh. Top eight wasn’t a bad title, but it was their last Interhigh with the third years. Winter rolled around, and the third years left amongst tears and promises of reunion.

Then, spring floated down in the cherry blossoms, winter melted with the snow, and the first years had become second years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew, this was a whopper of a chapter, more than what I usually write. Hope you enjoy!!


	5. No.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Where I indulge myself with second and third year crows. This is where the real fun starts ;] Also, I'm sorry if the lengths of the chapters fluctuate a little.

“Kenma!!”

“Shouyou. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Kenma looked up from his game, focusing on the other’s burnished brown eyes.

“Who’s the captain now? How’s Kuroo? Are you doing okay? I’m sorry I haven’t been texting lately-” And he was off. He filled Kenma in on the past few months, from graduation to the horrendous first days as second years. Kenma sympathized. He had been late to school on the first day because he had waited for Kuroo, forgetting that he had graduated to a college in Tokyo.

“Oh! We have some new players on the team. This time, we’ll crush you for sure!” Shouyou grinned at Kenma and waved, rushing to his side of the court. Their setter— Kageyama, if Kenma’s memory served him well— glared at him suspiciously. Kenma simply stared back impassively, waiting until he turned away before returning to his game.

“Kageyama! I saw you looking at Kenma! Why don’t you talk to him?” Hinata tossed a volleyball towards Kageyama, who out of sheer habit, set it towards the net. Hinata dashed towards it, and Kageyama watched as he slammed the ball down onto the opposite court. The first years murmured among themselves, and Kageyama felt himself swell with pride as he eavesdropped on them.

“There it is!”

“The freak duo!”

“Kageyama used to be called King of the Court right?”

“That’s such a cool title!”

“That makes Hinata the Queen? Since they’re a pair, right?”

“Oh my, Hinata has become the Queen now? When’s the wedding, oh great King?” Tsukishima just had to, didn’t he? Kageyama felt his blood boil, but before he could retaliate, Ennoshita called for them to gather around.

“Alright, guys. This is our first practice match with Nekoma without the third years, but their rules still apply, got it?” He made eye contact with the team members, and they nodded solemnly.

“Excuse me? What are the rules?” A first year raised his hand, his eyes darting around nervously. Hinata slapped him on his back cheerfully, pointing at the sides of the court.

“A lap of diving drills! You’ll get used to it, I promise,” he bounced up and down, looking at the court with an expression of longing. “Come on. We have a game to win!” Nishinoya laughed, moving towards the court.

“That’s the spirit Shouyou! Karasuno, fight!!” The team roared their approval and stepped onto the court, taking their positions.

* * *

“One round of diving drills!”

“Here we go again,” Hinata whispered conspiratorially as he dove to the hardwood floor, flashing a quick smile at Kageyama. Boy, this brings back memories. Nishinoya was the first one done, and he immediately headed over to plague the other team’s new libero with questions. Hinata sat back up, his arms coated in sweat. His palm brushed against the hardwood floor, and he hissed at the sting.  
  
“Hinata, are you okay? Here,” Yachi handed him a water bottle and a towel.  
  
“Thanks, Yachi! And I’m fine, it’s just my hands. They sting from spiking, but it’s a good kind of stinging, you know?” He downed half the bottle of water and wiped the sweat off his face.  
  
“Don’t overexert yourself. If you need anything, I’ll be here,” She warned, hurrying off to distribute bottles and towels. The first years were gasping, not accustomed to this kind of matches. Still, they were laughing and smiling, so Hinata supposed that was good. Bonding with the team was important. And speaking of teams… He turned to Kageyama, who stared at him blankly. After a few moments of staring, Kageyama got the hint.  
  
“Stop giving me that look damn it, I know what you want!”

“Yes!! Thanks, Kageyama!”

Hinata ran over to the trolley, selecting a volleyball. He waited until Kageyama got into place, then tossed it to him.

“If you guys don’t stop playing, we’ll leave you behind!” Ennoshita called out, hustling their team out of the gym. Hinata and Kageyama left reluctantly, the former waving a goodbye to Kenma. They crowded onto the bus, Nishinoya and Tanaka immediately set out to cause a ruckus in the back of the bus. Hinata felt slightly tired, and he didn’t fight so hard for the window seat. Kageyama seemed subdued as well, staring out at the scenery passing by, arms crossed across his chest. Hinata’s head drooped, and he huffed quietly.

* * *

Kageyama watched as Hinata’s head dropped lower and lower onto his chest, until finally, there was a tiny snore, signaling that he was asleep. He turned in his seat to look at the back: the first years were roughhousing in the back, Ennoshita keeping a close eye on them. Tsukishima had his headphones on, and didn’t even bother giving Kageyama a glance. Yachi was writing something up front, and Coach Ukai and Takeda-sensei were conversing in low tones. He slid back down in his seat. There was a lengthy trip back, so Kageyama closed his eyes.

* * *

“Guys, get up! We’re back at the school. We’re meeting in the gym for a quick debrief, so be quick.” Ennoshita’s voice echoed through Hinata’s mindscape. Hinata jumped up, the top of his head colliding with Kageyama’s jaw and snapping his head backwards.  
  
“The fuck are you trying to do?” Kageyama’s voice was croaky with sleep, and his jaw had a rapidly reddening spot on it. He rubbed it and fixed Hinata with a glare, but it didn’t have the terrifying force that was reserved for opponents on the court.  
  
“Get up, obviously! What were you doing on my head?” Hinata shot back, rising to the hidden taunt. Even having just woken up, he was raring to go.  
  
“I was sleeping. Obviously.” Kageyama slid out of his seat, slapping Hinata out of his own. “Come on, they’re all waiting.”  
  
“Ow! You didn’t have to hit me!”

“What’s going to get your slow ass moving then? I wasn’t going to crawl over you.”

“Kageyama, you’re such a jerk! That’s why you don’t have friends.” Hinata stuck his tongue out. Kageyama’s face stiffened, then went through a cycle of emotions. Hinata thought he saw anger, then fear, and something else that he couldn’t read. Finally, it smoothed into a blank mask. This wasn’t like Kageyama’s usual face. It was hiding something. He didn’t know it, but Hinata could read Kageyama somewhat. But right now, he was drawing a blank. They walked in silence to the meeting, then to the bike rack.  
  
“I-if I did anything wrong Kageyama, please tell me.” Hinata swallowed, turning to face Kageyama. They were at the crossroads, where they would leave; Hinata continuing up the mountain, Kageyama going… wherever his house was. Kageyama stared at him.  
  
“Forget it. If you don’t know, then why should I explain?” Kageyama walked off, leaving a very confused Hinata in his wake.

* * *

“Kageyamaaa! Give me a quick toss after lunch, please?” Hinata had burst into Kageyama’s classroom, demanding that he toss for him. Kageyama picked his head up from the desk, staring daggers at Hinata, who squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze.

“Fine.” He got up from his seat and ambled towards the open area they had, not even turning back to check if Hinata was following. He must know, right? Hinata supposed it was because he was the one who wanted to play. In silence, Kageyama stared at him, waiting for Hinata to initiate the toss. Hinata held on, trying to form what he wanted to say.

“Kageyama. I just want to say, I’m sorry for yesterday. I don’t know what I said, but I’ll try not to do it again.”  
  
Hinata looked up at Kageyama, trying to judge his expression. Kageyama looked thoughtful, staring at nothing in particular. After a while, he nodded his assent.  
“Alright. But next time, I’ll kill you, got it?” He threatened, his gaze sliding from Hinata and onto the volleyball.  
  
Hinata sighed in relief. At least Kageyama had forgiven him, though he still had no idea what he’d done. He came to a conclusion: He needed to find out what was it that made Kageyama tick. Maybe that way, he’ll find out why Kageyama made that face at him. Alright! He had a goal—

“Hinata! Toss the volleyball back, you dumbass!” Kageyama snapped.

Oops. First thing that ticked Kageyama off: not receiving a volleyball.

* * *

“Karasu-kun, what are you reading this time?”

“The war.”

“Really? What war?”

“You really are a clueless angel, aren’t you?”

“Hey! Then teach me!” Hinata rolled into an upright position, pouting at Kageyama from under his mask. Karasu—or Kageyama—sighed heavily, shifting so that Hinata could wriggle under his arm. Kageyama, however, jerked away from Hinata.  
  
“Idiot! What do you think you’re doing?” Kageyama demanded, then seemed to soften a little. “I’ll read it out to you. The war was one between the angels and devils…” Kageyama’s voice droned on and on.  
  
Hinata was bored. This wasn’t what he wanted; he wanted to actually engage in conversation with Kageyama. So, he tried. “War? What does it say?”

“I’m getting to that, jeez. So, The Siege of the Towers was the war that separated angels and devils. And—”

“Towers? Why?”  
  
Kageyama shut the book and glared at him. Hinata couldn’t see it, but he sure as heck could feel it. “Are you going to shut up and let me talk, or do you want me to punch you?”

“Right, shutting up now, yes sir!” Hinata made a zipping motion across his lips, earning an exasperated sigh from Kageyama as he reopened the book. He instead devoted his time to listening to Kageyama’s voice, the lilts and rises weaving a story of the first Celestial war.

The Siege of the Towers happened during what humans called the Dark Ages. Back then, they didn’t have a lot of notes taken during the four hundred years, so as a result, the war was omitted from human books. The Siege happened in a city called the Maraq Kingdom, where the devils lived in splendour. The angels rained fire from above, reducing the towns around the two castles to ashes. But the demon kings pooled their power and cast a spell that surrounded the whole of the city town, effectively locking the angels out. They sent troops out, slaughtering the angels’ army. The angels retaliated, raining down swords of light onto any tradesman who dared try to enter the town. The back and forth went on for two centuries before the shield collapsed. That’s when the real war started.  
  
Angels and devils were pitted against each other, their magic crackling around them and leveling mountains. The very seas boiled from the magic residue, and even now, some fragments of magic are still left over from that time. The demon kings didn’t fight; they simply stayed in the castles and cast spells. The angels, hearing this, laid siege to the castle, hoping to starve them out. The siege lasted a century, and by then, angels and devils were starting to fray at the edges. Good and Evil banished the Celestials to Heaven and Hell, and they repaired the damage wrought upon the earth by the war. Slowly, the humans forgot about the war, and it was transformed into a story.

By the end of it, Hinata’s eyes were wide and shiny. It sounded so cool! Going to war and coming back as a decorated hero, emblazoned with medals. Sign him up! “Karasu-kun, if you had a chance to join the war, would you?”

“Obviously, dumbass. And I bet I would so kick your ass.”

“Oh yeah? I’ll become an archangel and kick your stupid little butt!” Not that he was staring or anything, but Kageyama did have a nice butt. But he was digressing. Kageyama made a sound in his throat that sounded like a laugh and a growl.

“I don’t need to become a demon king to kick your butt. I could win against you.”

“Oh yeah? Right here, right now!”

“It’s on.”

“As much as I’d like to watch you two duke it out, I have guests over, and I’d appreciate it very much if you kept the castle intact.” Victory leant in the doorway. Someone else popped up behind him, and the figure waved.

“What’s popping?” They stepped into the light, revealing themselves as a red haired demon with black horns. They weren’t wearing the kinglike robes Victory was wearing, instead wearing a simple shirt and jeans. Their skin was a smoky red, mottled with patches of black. “I’m Glory, and I’m a demon king!”

“Glory-chan will be staying here for a meeting to finalize the building of the newest punishment town.” Victory’s dark brown eyes flashed a warning at them: Stay out, or they’ll regret it.

“Now, now, Victory-kun. No need to be so harsh with them.” Glory stepped forward, leaning in towards Hinata. Hinata sniffed. His scent was smoky and spicy, with a hint of coffee and cream. The smell wasn’t overpowering like Kageyama’s or Victory’s, but it surrounded him and easily overpowered his own. “And who do we have here? An angel?”

“Hikaru, sir! I’m a fledgling, soon to be angel!” He yelped and saluted, earning a bemused look from Victory. Glory threw his head back and laughed.

“Oh, you’re funny. Can we keep them, Victory-kun?”

“They’re here on an internship, Glory-chan.”

Glory sighed, looking genuinely sad. “Shame. They’d make a great-”

“Don’t you have a meeting to get to, Victory-san, Glory-san?” Kageyama cut in, staring at the two demon kings.  
  
“So we do, Karasu-chan. Don’t get in trouble, and no tantrums from you. Toodles~” Victory waved his gloved fingers in Kageyama’s direction, Glory smiling at them before following Victory. The door closed, and Hinata and Kageyama exhaled.

“Man… I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest!” Hinata clutched at the front of his shirt, sighing dramatically.  
  
“They did have really strong auras. As expected of two demon kings,” Kageyama agreed, taking a seat and opening his book again.

“Oh come on, Karasu-kun! It’s so boring, just reading!” Hinata whined. Kageyama shot him an annoyed look, as though he was actually mad.  
  
“Dumbass, Hina- Hikaru! I’m preparing for the future!” Hinata didn’t miss the slip up that Kageyama made, and his own heart skipped a beat. God, this wasn’t good for the heart. He flailed around for a topic, and his mouth blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

“Are you going for the Lune? You know, the event that we…danced together at?” he didn’t mean for it to come out like a question. Kageyama tilted his head, seemingly thinking on it.  
  
“It’s compulsory, dumbass.”  
  
Never mind then.

“I liked it, by the way.”

Hinata blinked. “What?”

“The dance last year. It was…I felt-”

Watching Kageyama struggle for words was pretty hilarious, but Hinata decided to help him out a little. “Nice?” He supplied.

“Yeah. That.” He seemed distinctly uncomfortable, turning back to the book. His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and silence settled over them like a cloud. It occurred to Hinata that Kageyama might still be socially awkward, so he struck up a conversation quickly.

* * *

Hinata frowned critically at his clothes. Yet again, they had sent him another pompous outfit. At least they had given him proper pants. This time, the outfit was all gauze and pale yellow, with gold and red accessories. The shoes were knee high boots, with gold and blue embellishments. The pants clung to his legs, and they had constellations sewn into them. Gold bangles wrapped around his upper arm, and cinched his sleeves into clouds of dark blue gauze. There was a cloak, but he opted to not wear it. Picking up his bottle, which had distilled into something that looked like liquid fire, he slid it gently into a slot at his waist, picking up his invitation and summoning his wings. They were black, and Hinata swore they’d grown bigger.

He took off towards the sky, spiraling higher and higher. In front of him, the full moon tipped the clouds silvery white, and Hinata flew on. Slowly, starlight and fog wove together to form the venue, nestled in the clouds. He fixed his mask and landed at the doorway, bouncing up and down on his heels excitedly. After handing his invitation to the bouncer, he dashed in, looking around for Kageyama.

The angels were hosting the Lune event this time, so they had decorated the venue. Silver strands of moonlight were draped around the area, and the lights were dim and multicoloured, giving the whole place a refined atmosphere. Everyone seemed at ease as well, angel and devil chatting casually. There were delicate silver pillars around the edge of the dance floor arching upwards, forming an open air gazebo where the moonlight provided a natural spotlight. The dance floor looked like ice, but it pulsed gently every time someone stepped onto it.  
  
“Oi.”

“Karasu-kun! I was beginning to think you weren’t going to show up.”

“I said I was coming, didn’t I?”

Kageyama certainly knew how to dress up. He was wearing a waistcoat with polished gold buttons and a powder blue dress shirt. His pants were perfectly pressed, and his shoes were polished. Hinata looked up, noting the way the shirt hugged Kageyama’s arms, complementing his dark hair and—

“Are you looking at the dance floor?” Kageyama looked over his shoulder, revealing a blood red cloak, trimmed with ermine and fastened with an elaborate gold pin. He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. Why the heck was he like this? Breathe, Hinata. Breathe.

“Wanna dance?” Hinata squeaked, his eyes darting away when Kageyama’s eyes jumped onto his mask. He’d worn a new one, since the other one didn’t really allow him to breathe. Praying that Kageyama didn’t notice, Hinata dragged his eyes up to meet Kageyama’s. They actually glowed in the dim lighting, absorbing the light and making it his own.  
  
“Sure.” Kageyama held his hand out, and it took a few moments for Hinata to realize what he should do. Quickly, he placed his hand in Kageyama’s gloved ones and shivered.

‘ _Cold._ ’ Hinata thought as Kageyama led him to the dance floor. They interlinked their hands, and began a waltz. Smoothly, Kageyama led him in a careful box step, circling the edge of the dance floor. Clearly, someone had been practicing. Hinata leant against Kageyama, feeling him stiffen.

“What are you-”

“Shhh, Karasu-kun.” Hinata buried his face into Kageyama’s shirt, stepping along to the music. He inhaled, and the smooth scent that was uniquely Kageyama flooded through him. He could barely suppress the shiver that ran through him. This was the smell of Kageyama the devil. The velvety feeling when the scent brushed his own felt cool, like dabs of essential oil. It faded into something mellow and warm, like the varnished wood smell of the a carpenter’s place he had been to once.  
  
“Hikaru. The song’s finished.” When Hinata gave no response, Kageyama dragged him towards the bathroom, depositing him in front of the sink. “You’re spacing out, idiot. Fix yourself up.” His cloak swept out behind him, and Hinata blinked slowly. Kageyama left only faint eddies of his scent, curling around Hinata. He reached towards the tap and turned it on, letting the cold water sluice over his burning fingers. Slowly, the scent diffused away, and the sparkling dust that had been thrown over his mind was swept away. Hinata splashed water onto his face, tugging at his hair.

What had come over him? It was like he was looking at everything through a haze, and his body didn’t work the way he wanted to. Damn that Kageyama! His scent put made Hinata feel all funny inside, like all GWAAH and FUWAA, to say nothing of the things his traitorous heart would do in Kageyama’s presence. It was stupid, really. But Hinata couldn’t get these feelings to stop. He’d tried.  
  
“Right!” He shouted to the empty bathroom. “I’m going to go back out, and I’m going to have a perfectly good time!” Feeling infinitely better, he strode out into the ballroom. Good, good.

Yeah, that idea was a no-go.


	6. Black Opium

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in which Hinata finds himself at the beginning of a series of unfortunate events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kageyama seems to have fallen for the sun ;)) This is one of my better fluff scenes, so enjoy!

“Chibi-chan! Come over here, I was just talking about you!” Victory waved Hinata over, and Hinata fought back a shiver as masked faces turned towards him. Victory didn’t seem to realize his discomfort, placing his hand on the small of Hinata’s back and beaming at his fellow demons. “This is the angel I was talking about. They’re taking an internship with me!” The demons murmured appreciatively, and Hinata cast around for Kageyama. He found him by a pillar, chatting with an angel. He couldn’t really tell who was it, but Kageyama seemed invested in the conversation.

“Who are you ogling, Chibi-chan? Is it Karasu-chan, by any chance?” Victory leant in close, and he could smell the delicate smell of flowers tickling his nose. The demon laughed, and stepped away. “I believe I have my answer. Enjoy your night with Karasu-chan~”

Hinata sped off, grateful for the release. He was moving so fast he nearly bumped into the angel that Kageyama was talking to. “Ah-I am so sorry-”

“Dumbass! Watch where you’re going!” Kageyama shouted, drawing quite a few looks to him.

“It’s alright. You’re that angel, aren’t you? Hikaru.” The angel was soft spoken, and they wore a mask that covered the top part of their head completely, leaving the lower half of their face bare. They glanced at Hinata, then looked back up at Kageyama. “I hope that advice was helpful. Situations like these are rare, but not uncommon.” They moved away, and Hinata stared at their wings. It was creamy white, speckled with white and various shades of grey. They looked like a humanoid owl.

“What did you ask them about, Karasu-kun?”

“None of your business, dumbass. Freshened up yet?”

“Yeah! I feel loads better, thanks Karasu-kun!” Right on cue, Hinata’s stomach chose this moment to announce its presence with a vicious growl. “Oh… I’m hungry.”

Kageyama laughed at that. Imagine. He actually laughed at something Hinata did. He resolved to try and make Kageyama laugh a little more in the future. “Eat something then. You’re literally standing by a buffet table.”

“Bet you I can eat more nuggets than you, Karasu-kun!”

“Hell no, I’ll be the champion.”

“Start!”

“Wh- Oi! You started earlier! Dumbass!!”

* * *

Hinata stared at his ceiling, tossing a volleyball up and down rhythmically. His mind was elsewhere. So as of right now, Kageyama was a devil (no surprise there) and Suga-san was an angel. His stomach baulked, and he rolled over, clutching his stomach.

“Bwak-!”

The volleyball landed on his head, rolling off his bed and coming to rest on the floor. That was one too many chicken nuggets. He smiled, remembering the eating contest they had. Kageyama had fallen into a nugget coma, and Hinata had made his hasty retreat immediately. Anyways, he’d won. He rolled over and sighed contentedly. He was going to go to sleep, and he was going to absolutely destroy Kageyama in tomorrow’s race to the gym.

* * *

“Kageyama! Quit staring out the window and toss to me…please?” Hinata twisted his hands together, staring up at him pleadingly. Kageyama had been really distracted of late, staring out the window and getting more and more agitated. Hinata peered out of the windows, noting the dark clouds rolling over the horizon. If he was lucky, he might be able to get home before it started pouring. Hopefully.

“Shut up dumbass. I’m not in the mood.”

Not in the mood? Hinata was appalled. He didn’t know Kageyama had a mood for volleyball! What was this? Was it the nuggets? It can’t be, can it? Could nuggets even do that? He was so frantic that he failed to see Kageyama approaching him. Kageyama reached out and grabbed Hinata by his hair, tugging on the orange locks hard.

“OW OW OW OW! Kageyama let go! You’re hurting me!” Hinata yowled, grabbing at Kageyama’s hand, trying to futilely dislodge him from his head. The temperature increased palpably, and Kageyama’s frown deepened as he worked his hand deeper into Hinata’s scalp. Hinata actually had tears in his eyes from the pain. Then all of a sudden, a cooling sensation spread outwards from Kageyama’s fingers, loosening the fiery knot of pain in Hinata’s head. He let out an exhale and dropped his hands to his side, enjoying the cool feeling. But it didn’t last. Kageyama pulled away and picked up the volleyball, huffing gently.  
  
“Alright fine. But just a few, you hear me?”

“Yes!! Thanks a bunch, Yamayama-kun!”

“Don’t call me that, dumbass!”

* * *

Yamaguchi watched the two of them dash off, bickering endlessly. He smiled up at Tsukishima, who watched them with a look of barely disguised disdain. “I literally have no idea what just happened, Tsukki.”

“Neither do I. But it must be a thing wild animals do.”

* * *

“Aw…it’s raining, and I don’t think I brought an umbrella,” Hinata moaned, staring up at the sky. A flash of lightning heralded a clap of thunder, and the rain seemed to worsen. “Well, I just have to brave it. You can do this, Shouyou!” He raced out to his bike and unchained it, taking a running start before pedaling off. He wasn’t even halfway home before his shirt was sticking to his skin. Silently, he congratulated himself for wearing his jacket, since it prevented it from feeling too cold. Plus, there was the matter of his unnaturally high body temperature. Water rolling off him was lukewarm, and the raindrops felt like they had fangs and were chomping down on him. The road up the hill was slick with rainwater, and Hinata pushed hard on the pedals, straining against the g-force.  
  
He didn’t know how it happened; it was all so fast. One moment he was straining against the slope, the next, his world was a whirl of kaleidoscopic grey and green. Hinata hit the railing that prevented him from flying off the mountain and into the forest, sending a dull jolt of pain through his shoulder. His mouth tasted like old pennies, and his palms and knees felt as though they were on fire. He tried to sit up, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. His shoulder throbbed when he touched it, and it came away sticky and wet and horribly red. Hinata fought to keep his eyes open, and he opened his mouth to try and call for help. But people rarely passed on this road on a sunny day, much less in a thunderstorm. He looked at his bag a few metres away. If he could just get to his phone…he could contact someone for help. Darkness encroached on the edges of his vision, and he fought a wave of nausea. Not now.

“Ka…ge…yama…” Hinata mumbled, his head drooping against his chest.

* * *

Kageyama stared at the rain, then at the bike rack. Knowing him, the idiot probably biked home in the rain. Heaving a big sigh, he opened his umbrella and stepped out, making his way home. Thinking back, what was that at the gym? He stared at his hand, the same ones which had grabbed onto Hinata’s hair. Again, he was unnaturally hot (and Kageyama definitely meant that temperature wise only), but what the heck was…whatever he did? For a moment, he actually felt warm. It felt like winter had left his body for a while, and it was replaced by a hopeful ray of sunshine. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Surely it was just a fluke? Yeah, definitely.

  
A twisted white bicycle lay in the mud, its white coat tarnished with speckles of brown. Kageyama paused for a moment, staring down at the bike. He sure hoped Hinata made it home safely; it would be a nuisance if he didn’t. He continued walking, but stopped almost immediately again. A beige messenger bag with several different badges pinned onto it. Faded writing on the strap, written in permanent marker: Hinata Shouyou. Kageyama’s heartbeat quickened, and he strode forward, praying for the best.

“Ka…ge…yama…”

That quiet recitation of his name brought chills to him, sinking deep into his bones and bringing him to his knees. He reached a trembling hand out to Hinata, and the pads of his fingers brushed against his cheek. He was ice cold.  
  
“Oh my god. Oh my god Hinata, Hinata. Open your eyes.” Kageyama exhaled shakily and gathered Hinata in his arms rather awkwardly, carrying him bridal style. He was frighteningly light, and he looked so frail and tiny. Kageyama scooped up his bag to take with him, and ran towards his house. “Hinata. Hinata, you freaking dumbass, talk to me.” The lack of response sped him up, and he nearly slipped twice on his way back.

He kept on talking to Hinata, cradling him as he unlocked the door and propped him up against the wall. He rushed to get blankets and towels and toweled Hinata off. After he did that, Kageyama draped the blanket over Hinata and heated something warm for him to eat. “Come on, dumbass. You have to take a warm bath yourself, because I am not washing you. Here, I’ll lend you some clothes of mine.” Slowly, he coaxed Hinata into the bath and back out, then help him swallow a few spoonfuls of hot soup. Throughout the whole ordeal, Hinata’s eyes were closed, and Kageyama started to get jittery.

“Oi. Come here, I need to clean your wounds. They’re going to get infected otherwise.” Kageyama lifted a first-aid kit down, taking Hinata’s hand and guiding him to the couch. The wounds weren’t bad, just scrapes and bruises, but his shoulder had quite a large cut on it. He swabbed the other’s wounds in silence, and for a moment, only the snip of the scissors cutting the bandages up and the rain were the only sounds in the room. After that, Hinata lay on the couch, and Kageyama changed out of his own clothes and threw both his and Hinata’s into the washing machine. He walked back into the living room and sat down, looking at Hinata. He seemed healthier, and there was a little more colour in his cheeks.

Unable to stand the silence, Kageyama cleared his throat and started talking. It wasn’t anything major, just some stupid thing that happened this morning, but Kageyama didn’t like the sound of rain as a soundtrack. He paused for breath and stared at Hinata’s face. Long, orange lashes brushed against his sun kissed cheeks, and Kageyama could see a light dusting of freckles, almost invisible against his skin. Slowly, Kageyama reached out and threaded his fingers through Hinata’s hair, feeling the difference in texture. Usually, his hair would be fluffy and impossibly soft. Now, the water had changed it into a sleek, silky texture, almost like a cat’s fur.

After forever, Hinata’s eyes cracked open. “Keep going,” he whispered, reaching a hand out towards Kageyama’s and brushing against his knuckles. “I like your voice.”  
  
So Kageyama talked. He talked about volleyball, he talked about school, he talked about their juniors. And Hinata listened. He was a good listener. He was still ice cold, and Kageyama realized that this was probably going to be one of the only times he would be warmer than him.

Kageyama didn’t know how, but they somehow ended up in his room, Hinata curled up under the blankets on Kageyama’s bed, Kageyama lying on the floor and talking. His throat was starting to get a little dry, but he persevered.

“Kageyama? If you’re tired, you can stop,” Hinata whispered, turning his eyes onto him. Kageyama inhaled and exhaled slowly. His unique scent of summer was diminished, and only a faint smell of citrus remained.

“No. I just need some water, so give me a minute.” Hinata nodded and closed his eyes, his hand dropping off the mattress. Kageyama fought the urge to grab it, instead busying himself with fetching a glass of warm water. When he reentered, Hinata was sprawled over his bed, his breathing even. He set the glass on the table after a gulp of water and tugged the blanket over Hinata, tucking his hands and legs under the clothes. “Dumbass…sleep properly or you’ll die of cold.”

Hinata chuckled tiredly. “Yes, mom. I will try to.”

“Shut up. Roll over and give me some space.”

“E-eh?”

“Well I sure as hell am not sleeping on the damn couch, you dumbass. You can share, can’t you?” Kageyama didn’t understand why the hell sharing a bed was weird. I mean, sure, other than them being team mates, but every time during training camps, Hinata rolled onto his bed. So how was this any different?

“Fine! Is this how you treat sick people?”

“You’re not sick.”

“But I fell down a hill! And I hit my shoulder-HOW WILL I PLAY VOLLEYBALL?”

“You are not playing volleyball or so help me I will end you.”

“But-”

“Be quiet and go to sleep.”

“Okay, okay! Sheesh.”

Kageyama had switched the lights off and crawled into bed with Hinata. Since he was a side sleeper, he turned his back to Hinata and grabbed a pillow, hugging it to his chest. Two things occurred to him. First, the bed was pretty small, so their feet were brushing against each other. Second, Hinata’s stupid fingers were brushing his back, and they seemed to have warmed back up again. He listened to Hinata’s breathing, letting the rhythmic sound lull him into sleep.

* * *

Kageyama was confused. There was something warm underneath him, but that was probably just his blankets. Then the something shifted, and Kageyama froze. Memories of yesterday came pouring in, and he inwardly groaned. Oh god. Someone patted him on his head, and he glared sleepily at Hinata, who flashed him a smile that made it feel like he had just stared into the sun.

“Morning, Bateyama!”

He dropped his head back onto Hinata’s chest. Nope, nope and nope. It was too early for this. He tuned out the whines and focused on his heartbeat, counting the pulses slowly. Gradually, he found himself keeping pace to another heartbeat. Hinata’s heartbeat. He timed his breaths to the inhale and exhale of Hinata’s and slowly, their heartbeats merged, to the point that Kageyama couldn’t tell whose heartbeat was whose.  
  
“Morning,” he finally mumbled. Dimly, he realized Hinata’s grumbling had tapered off, and he was secretly glad. Warmth dragged through his scalp, and Kageyama mumbled something incoherent. The warmth paused for a moment before Hinata continued, and he could almost see the ridiculously large smile on his face.

Hinata carded his fingers through Kageyama’s hair, working through the knots and massaging his scalp. It felt great, and Kageyama leant into the touch. However, the warmth slid lower and lower, before it fluttered against his skin. His breath hitched, but he stared at Hinata before slowly sliding his eyes shut. Slowly, Hinata explored the planes of Kageyama’s face, leaving trails of heat wherever he went. His hand was joined by his other, combing through his hair again, and Kageyama felt the warmth travelling through his body, to the tips of his toes. He hummed, and Hinata’s hand paused at his throat.

“Do that again?”

Kageyama obliged, and Hinata’s fingers followed his Adam’s apple when he swallowed. He didn’t think about how weird it would get, or the fact that he was perfectly okay with this. After all, he could just blame it on being sleepy. However, his sister was slated to return home soon, and Kageyama did not want to be caught dead like this. And then there was the matter of school. He peeped at his alarm clock. 4.02a.m.. More than enough time. So he closed his eyes and let Hinata do his thing. Hinata’s fingers ghosted over his lips and splayed over his cheeks, cupping them in warmth.

Kageyama experienced that moment again, where it felt like liquid fire had been injected into his body. He shivered, and Hinata paused. Then he trailed the hand tangled in Kageyama’s hair down to his neck, massaging his tense neck muscles. Kageyama might or might not have whimpered.

“Kageyama?”

He looked up at Hinata’s eyes, extremely aware of how his cheeks were flaming red and his lips were parted.

“What?”

“I think I need to poop.”

Chaos ensued thereafter. Kageyama jumped out of bed and charged towards the toilet, Hinata hot on his heels. They shoved each other out of the way, but Kageyama got in first. He slammed the door shut and locked it, panting heavily. Outside, he could hear Hinata screeching about how he shoved an injured person. Said injured person had actually managed to blow his composure to smithereens, make him blush and make some sort of infernal noise. What even was that sound anyway? Kageyama splashed some water on his face first and trusting his voice to not do anything embarrassing, yelled at the door.

“I win, dumbass!”

“No fair! You elbowed my shoulder!” Hinata whined, pounding on the door. “At least make me breakfast, you turd!”

“No.”

“Fine, but I’ll warn you now; I might burn your house down trying to cook water.”

“You little- Fine! I’ll make you breakfast!”

“Yes! Thanks, Kageyama!” His footsteps faded away, and Kageyama let out the breath he didn’t know he had been holding. He glared at his reflection in the mirror and his reflection scowled back.  
  
“Get your shit together, Tobio,” he mumbled, picking up his toothbrush, starting his morning routine. He would not think about this incident, and he would make breakfast for the ungrateful dumbass outside. If his sister asked, nothing happened.

* * *

Hinata huffed and stood in the living room. Everything was calling out to him, and there were secrets to be found, baby pictures to laugh over, and breakfast to make (though that was for Kageyama to make). He started with the shelves on either side of the TV stand. Light novels, comics, self-help books and many other were stuffed into the stark white shelves. Some looked well worn, while others looked like they just came out of the plastic wrapping. On the lowest shelf, three fat albums sat there, held together by rubber bands. Hinata lifted them out for later and stood, pulling his shirt down. A quick sweep around the living room revealed nothing that stood out, but there were some interesting looking drawers. Hinata decided to sit down and look at the photos first, for some blackmail material.

Even when Kageyama was a baby, his face was already twisted in a scowl of childish disapproval. Hinata chuckled as he paged through the plastic folders, occasionally pausing on a page to smile. His favourite one was where Kageyama received his first volleyball as a birthday present. That smile… He traced the photo, wishing he could see the smile in real life. It was a big one, stretching from ear to ear. Kageyama’s eyes were sparkling in the photo, and he looked so…free. The jangle of keys woke him up, and he stared at the door with mild panic. Oh god, who was it? The door opened, and a female stepped into the house.

“Hello. I didn’t know Tobio had guests over; he was supposed to say something if he had,” she said kindly, slipping off her shoes and stepping into the house.

“I-uhm…I’mnotaguestIfelldownandhebroughtmehere-”

“Calm down, I can’t understand anything. I’m Kageyama Miwa, but just Miwa is fine,” Miwa glanced at Hinata, took in his shirt which belonged to Kageyama, the bandages peeking out from under the collar of his shirt, and his scuffed knees and raised an eyebrow.

“I-uh, I fell down in the rain, and Kageyama brought me here,” Hinata flushed red. Yeah, this didn’t look good for him. He had just woken up as well, so his hair was wilder than normal. Hinata scratched at the bandages on his shoulder, stopping when he heard Kageyama’s voice in his head yelling at him to stop it. Kageyama’s sister was nice, even more so than that meanie.

“I see. Well, Tobio takes a while in the bathroom, so I’ll make you some breakfast, that alright?” As she talked, she was already tying an apron on and taking out pots and pans. “It’s going to be a little simple, I’m afraid.”

“I don’t mind! Thank you for cooking for me, Miwa-san! I’m Hinata Shouyou!” Hinata hopped over to the coffee table and sat down, flipping through the pictures again. The house was silent except for Miwa humming a tune he vaguely recognized, and the clatter of pots and pans and the sizzle of cooking food. A heavenly aroma reached Hinata, and his stomach made its frustrations known by growling loudly.

“Oi dumbass, I thought I told you not to-” Kageyama stopped dead in his tracks as he spotted Miwa in the kitchen.

“Tobio! Finally, you’re out of the bathroom. Come on, help me with the cooking.” Miwa waved a ladle in Kageyama’s direction, giving him a quick smile before her face was obscured by steam. “Shou-chan- is it alright if I call you that- you can use the bathroom now!”

“Kageyama, your sister’s really cool,” Hinata said, giving him a slap on the back. “And she’s nice to me! Learn from her, you meanie!”

“Why you-”

“If you keep making that face, it’ll stick like that!”

“Dumbass, I swear to god I’ll-”

But what Kageyama would do, Hinata never found out, because the front door unlocked again, and a blast of cold air hit him in the face. He watched as an elegantly dressed lady stepped into the house, her high heels clicking on the hardwood floors. The sounds of the kitchen became muted, and Hinata swore he saw the colours around him cool, like someone had turned down the saturation and warmth of the morning

“Hello, Tobio, Miwa. I hope you have been doing well.” the lady stepped into the house, and Hinata felt goosebumps rise as she turned her gaze on him. But somehow, his chest burned warmer than a furnace, and he stood a little straighter. She turned away, and Hinata exhaled. That was one scary lady! Who was she? She stepped towards Kageyama and stretched out her arms. “Come here Tobio. Give your mother a hug.”

Hinata watched as Kageyama stepped into the hug and wrapped his arms around her quickly before releasing her and stepping back. He watched as Kageyama’s expression became oddly smooth to betray no emotion whatsoever, and he watched as Kageyama desaturated in front of him. He was no longer Kageyama Tobio, genius setter and King of the Court. He was just Tobio, son of Mrs. Kageyama.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! Mama Kageyama is freezing!


	7. Fairy Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yachi best wingwoman, hands down

“Come, let’s eat. I presume you still have to change…?” She turned towards Hinata, training a glare that was positively glacial on him. It looked like the kind that Kageyama would give him if he said something stupid (all the time), but this one was way colder.

“Yes ma’am!” Hinata squeaked and scurried into the bathroom, closing the door and locking it. Inside, the temperature returned to normal and the colours brightened and warmed. What was that? He had never met someone with such an intense feeling to them before. Not even Ushijima had this kind of aura. He splashed some water on his face, feeling goosebumps rise again when he replayed that frigid gaze. How did Kageyama live like this?

Kageyama was cold. He shivered slightly, and he could feel his anger leaching away, replaced by a cool, minty apathy. His mother always had this effect on him. Mrs Kageyama was the chairwoman of a large hospital, and he thought that being in the cold, sterile hallways of the hospital had rubbed off on her, and she in turn imposed it on her household. Not even her fiery husband could melt her cold aura. He glanced at his breakfast, poking at it absently.

“Tobio.” He looked up at his mother and made a small noise of curiosity. “Who was that boy?”

“No one, mom. He’s just my volleyball teammate.” Kageyama stabbed at his egg and glared moodily at nothing in particular.

“Tobio. You’re still indulging in that silly club? I thought I told you to leave. It’s a waste of time-”

“Sorry for the intrusion!”

Kageyama looked up, and his breath caught in his throat. Hinata looked like he was actually, literally on fire. He was backlit by the sunlight streaming through the large picture windows, and every strand of his orange hair was illuminated, setting fire to his silhouette. He walked over to his seat and slid into it, his knee brushing against Kageyama’s as he did so. Warmth blossomed from the point of contact, and the colours brightened for a split second then dulled, leaving Kageyama disoriented. He watched as Hinata put his hands together and announced his thanks for the food, then dug in.

“Hey, Yamayama! You gonna eat that, or can I have it?”

Kageyama snatched up his fork and attacked his bowl viciously. “Shut up and eat.” The table was silent for a moment, chopsticks clinking against bowls the only sound that broke the awkward tension that hung over the table. After the third surreptitious glance cast at the clock, Hinata got the hint and pushed himself out from the table.

“Thank you for breakfast, Kageyama-san, Miwa-san,” Hinata announced, bending at the waist slightly. He smiled that thousand-watt smile, and turned to Kageyama. “I’ll be going now. I need to prepare for school.”

“I’ll follow Hinata,” Kageyama said, hastily swallowing his last spoonful of rice and putting his bowl into the sink. He moved to the doorway, where Hinata was examining his mud splattered shoes. He slipped them off, and stepped out in only his socks. He waved towards Kageyama, screaming his goodbyes to the Kageyama family. Together, they walked to Hinata’s house; one barefooted save for socks and an overlarge shirt, another dressed in school uniform. It was Hinata who broke the silence first.

“Kageyama, your mom is really scary!” Hinata shivered, rubbing his arms. “I got like, chills when she looked at me!” He then went on to describe his mom, complete with sound effects and wildly exaggerated gestures. Finally, he stopped and spun around on the spot.

“Welcome to my house! Mi casa es su casa!” He looked really proud of that phrase, but Kageyama didn’t even know what language that came from. He settled for a nod and a noncommittal grunt, which seemed to satisfy Hinata. The tiny tangerine bounced up the steps and onto the doormat, unlocking the door and stepping in.

“I’m home! Sorry I didn’t call you mom, my phone is broken…” his voice faded as he ran into the kitchen, and left Kageyama in the doorway of his house. Tentatively, he stepped into the house and was instantly confronted by a miniature version of Hinata, except that this one had long hair pulled up in tiny pigtails.

“Uhm, hello…?” Kageyama started.

“Who are you?”

“I’m- Kageyama Tobio.” He wasn’t good with kids, so this short interaction was insanely awkward to him. His palms were sweaty, and he wiped them on his pants.

“I’m Natsu, Tobio-niichan!” She slipped her hand into his and pulled him deeper into the house, all the while chattering. “Do you play volleyball? Can you spike? Can you serve? Play with me, Tobio-niichan!”

Kageyama’s head spun with the endless questions, so he was quite glad when Hinata came and pried Natsu off, scolding her for apparently “Overloading Kageyama’s horrible social skills!”

He had already changed into his uniform, and his mom called out for him to be more careful.

“I will, mom! Love you! Mwah!” Hinata waved back, Natsu running after him and extracting a promise from Hinata to play with her when he got back.

To Kageyama, this was the exact opposite of his home: Chaotic, messy and full of life. He patted Natsu’s mess of curly orange hair and walked after Hinata, his long legs catching up to him easily. “Oi, you’d better speed up or I’ll have to leave you behind.”

“I can run faster than you, Bakageyama!” Hinata challenged, bouncing on his heels. Kageyama lunged forward, speeding past Hinata. He caught Hinata’s outraged look and chuckled.

“Catch me then, dumbass!” He turned back, and suddenly, Hinata was ahead of him, powering ahead. Kageyama poured on the speed, yelling insults at him and swiping for Hinata’s collar. Hinata seemed to fly down the mountain, using a combination of skidding and jumping to get down.

“Hahaha! I’m gonna get those two meat buns Kageyama!!"

* * *

Hinata got the two meat buns. Kageyama watched him tuck into the food, his own stomach grumbling and begging for the source of that wondrous smell. Hinata tore a meat bun in half, handing one part to Kageyama.  
“Here. It’s a participation award, Kageyama,” he smiled, waggling the food in front of Kageyama. “Don’t you want it?”

With a growl, Kageyama snatched the bun from Hinata’s hand and crammed it into his mouth and tried to conceal his delight. The bun always tasted heavenly, and Kageyama worked his jaw furiously around the food. “Fhanks,” he mumbled.

When they reached the crossroad, Hinata stepped up onto his bicycle and waved frantically to Kageyama. “Bye Kageyama!”

“Bye,” Kageyama mumbled.

* * *

“Kageyama!! Did you get an invitation? To the party?”

“Stop jumping around dumbass. Yeah, I did. Are you going?”

“Obviously! I mean, it’s kind of like a reunion party, you know? You can’t miss it,” Hinata felt like a glass of soda; bubbling with impatience. Suga had called and told him about a party at his house. He claimed it was to celebrate them becoming second years, but really, it was probably an excuse to party, according to Noya. Either way, it was going to be fun!

He couldn’t wait for the end of class, fidgeting so many times the teachers asked if he would please calm down, since he was disrupting the class. During break, he was so distracted that he kept missing receives, and Kageyama yelled at him.

“Oi! What’s with your crappy receives?” Hinata beamed at Kageyama as way of answer and Kageyama huffed, lowering the volleyball in his hands. “Is it the party?”  
A nod.

“You’re such a child, getting excited over something like this,” Tsukishima commented drily, stopping in front of the two of them. “You’d have thought a year would be enough time to mature a little.”

“Oh shut up Tsukishima. Stop being a prick.” Kageyama scowled, meeting the other’s condescending smirk. Hinata completely ignored the jab and moved to chat with Tsukishima.

“Tsukishima, are you going for the party? Did Suga invite you?”

“Obviously, and no, I’m not-”

“You have to go! I mean, it’s like a reunion party for us!”

“Not interested,” Tsukishima clicked his tongue in annoyance and spun on his heel, tossing out a quick, “Come on Yamaguchi. Let’s go.” Yamaguchi trailed behind, turning back with an apologetic smile and a half wave.

“He’s going to come, so stop worrying.”

Hinata turned to Kageyama, who was bouncing the ball on his forearms. “How do you know?”

Kageyama bounced the ball into the air and caught it, surveying its surface. “Just a feeling."

* * *

“Oh! You guys finally made it! Come on, you’re the last ones to arrive,” Suga pushed the door wider and allowed Kageyama and Hinata to step into the house. All of the members of the team were there, including Tsukishima. His eyes met Hinata and the message was clear: I was forced to come along. Tanaka and Nishinoya rushed up to them, dragging them deeper into the living room.

“Shouyou! Good timing, we were just about to play some games! Any suggestions?” Nishinoya braced himself on Hinata’s shoulders and jumped into the air, balancing precariously on them.

“Games?” Hinata staggered around, thrown off by the extra weight until Nishinoya dropped back down and resumed walking beside them.

“Games are a must have, since a party isn’t a party without them!” Tanaka proclaimed, steering them to a small table where snacks and a punch bowl had been set up. “Come my friends. Eat, and we shall commence the ceremony.”

Hinata immediately helped himself to the nuggets and various finger foods while Kageyama frowned. “Ceremony?”

Nishinoya and Tanaka exchanged identical diabolical grins and held up a bottle of tequila and an empty bottle respectively. “Get drunk, then play games till the crack of dawn!” A small doubt jiggled at the back of Kageyama’s mind, and he voiced it.

“Aren’t we underage? We shouldn’t even have alcohol.”

“Aw come on Kageyama, you’re no fun,” Tanaka slung an arm around him, shoving a plate of food into Kageyama’s hands. “But yes, we are underage. However, and this is a big pro in our favour,” Tanaka raised a finger to point at the drink bottle. “It’s very low in alcohol content. So unless you have terrible tolerance, you won’t get drunk.”

“Well, I won’t be participating. I don’t want to get drunk,” Kageyama announced. Nishinoya and Tanaka nodded somberly.

“Don’t be too sure about that. We have ways,” Nishinoya and Tanaka grinned and fist-bumped the other without even looking.

They all glanced towards Hinata, who turned to look at them. “I’m not allowed to stay too long, since I have to babysit Natsu. Mom went to visit an aunt,” he warned, carrying his plate of food towards the low coffee table where everyone was gathering. He squeezed in between Tsukishima and Yachi, who seemed amazingly at ease in this atmosphere. Kageyama glanced around for a seat, and seeing none, leant against the wall. Yachi stood up and waved Kageyama over.

“Are you sure? I’m fine with standing, you know.”

“It’s fine. I’m not one for drinking anyway,” Yachi beamed and disappeared to the kitchen. Kageyama took a seat beside Hinata, trying to ignore the fact that their knees brushed against each other occasionally.

“Okay! First game of the night, Shot Roulette!” Suga chirped, waving a small piece of paper around. “Yachi, if you’d please.”

Yachi emerged, bearing a tray of shot glasses, each one containing a clear liquid. She set it gently on the table and cleared her throat. “T-the rules are simple,” her voice wavered slightly and Hinata gave her an encouraging smile. She returned it and continued, her confidence bolstered. “You have to pick a cup up and guess if it’s water or alcohol. Then you drink it. If you guess incorrectly, you have to drink another one.” She glanced around. “So who wants to go first?”

“Kageyama should go first!”

“Yeah, Kageyama, you can’t reject your upperclassmen’s offer!”

“This is disgusting. I’m being ganged up on,” Kageyama grumbled, staying where he was stubbornly. “I’m not doing it.”

Hinata turned to look at Kageyama and snickered. “Bet its because you can’t hold your alcohol, Bakageyama!” He taunted, igniting Kageyama’s competitive flame.

“Oh it’s on, dumbass. I’ll show you.” Kageyama snatched a glass up and stared at it. “Alcohol.” He threw the drink back, and the liquid burned as it went down. He thumped the glass victoriously onto the table, and Yachi immediately refilled the glass and set it back onto the tray. She turned to Hinata.

“Hinata, your turn.”

Hinata spent a few moments mulling over the glasses, and finally he chose one. “Water,” he muttered, and sipped the cup. His face lit up, and he drank the rest. “I got it correct!”

The game progressed for a few rounds, until they were all reasonably inebriated. Suga dropped the piece of paper onto the table and asked them to pick while he got himself acquainted with the toilet for the second time. Nishinoya immediately snatched it up, his eyes scanning the words.

“How about never have I ever? It’s pretty easy, just take a shot whenever you have done something.” Nishinoya suggested, folding the piece of paper and pulling out a bottle of vodka. He glanced towards Shouyou and Tobio leaning on each other and silently and patted himself on the back for bringing something to contribute.

By this point, Kageyama’s senses had been slightly dulled by the alcohol, but his mind was still reasonably clear. Everything had a softer look around it, and the lights were bright and dripping neon. He murmured his assent, and he felt Hinata do the same. Nishinoya uncorked the bottle and smiled enthusiastically.

“I’ll go first! Never have I ever failed a test!” He immediately took a gulp and passed it along. Tanaka took a gulp, swallowing murmured protests, as did Hinata and Kageyama. The vodka didn’t smell very strong, but it tasted like liquid fire. Kageyama hacked and coughed, and Yachi had to thump him on the back. Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and the rest of the third and second years watched on, the latter slightly worried, the former smirking at their antics.

“That’s low, bro. Alright, never have I ever kissed a girl.” Tanaka snatched the bottle up and drank, passing it to Hinata, who passed it to Kageyama.

Nishinoya gasped. “Shouyou! Who was it?” He leant forward, propping his chin up on his hands.

“Does my sister count? I’ve kissed her on the cheek,” Hinata muttered, watching Kageyama gulp down vodka. Already, Nishinoya’s speech was slurring, the syllables catching on his lips.

“Ahh, I should’ve been more specific. Alright, you get a pass. Shouyou, your turn,” Nishinoya passed the bottle to Hinata, who studied it for a moment.

“Never have I ever rejected a girl,” he cheerfully passed the bottle to Kageyama, who drank from it. The look on his face when he resurfaced was murderous.

“Dumbass, you rigged the stupid question,” Kageyama slammed the bottle onto the table, glaring at Hinata from under hooded eyes. By way of response, Hinata giggled and waved for Tanaka to go on.

As the night progressed, so did the game. And the lower the alcohol level, the wilder the questions.

“Never have I ever stripped in public!” Tanaka shouted triumphantly, sloshing the alcohol around in its bottle. He took a big gulp and slammed the bottle on the table, but no one reached for it.

“That’s just you, Ryu,” Nishinoya cackled, pushing the bottle to Hinata. “Shouyou, show him how its done.”

Hinata picked up the bottle and pondered on the question he was going to ask. “Never have I ever dated someone.”

“Oh! Going in for the dirt Shouyou!” Nishinoya took a sip, slopping most of the liquid over himself. He laughed, standing up and swaying over to Asahi. “Asahi-san! Want to join? It’s fun!”

“Uhm…” Asahi glanced over to Suga for help, but the silver haired man only gave him a thumbs up and a tipsy grin.

Hinata grinned and passed the bottle to Kageyama, who passed it on. Nishinoya and Tanaka did the same. Asahi looked slightly uncomfortable when Nishinoya crawled onto his lap, but he didn’t push him off. Nishinoya’s jaw hung slack, and he pointed at Hinata. “No. Do we not have a broship between us? Shouyou, you’ve wounded me.”

Hinata shook his head, feeling slightly self conscious. Were you supposed to have it? They were all just his friends, right? Did friends do that?

Kageyama snatched up the bottle and stole a sip. Hinata couldn’t help but notice the flushed cheeks, his glossed over eyes and the way Kageyama’s hair stuck out in all directions. He was drunk, and Hinata was not. That was a massive win, and Hinata silently cheered.

“Never have I ever kissed someone, boy or girl. And it can’t be siblings.” Kageyama’s face was the very picture of drunken satisfaction as everyone groaned and took a sip. Hinata looked at the bottle, then at Kageyama. He didn’t want to drink anymore; he still had Natsu to think of. Kageyama caught his gaze and frowned.

“What?”

“Can I skip this round Kageyama? I have to go soon-”

“Dumbass, are you saying you’re not drinking? That’s a forfeit you know. And I’ll win.”

Hinata fidgeted with the bottle. “I know that, but-”

“Shouyou! I know what to do!” Nishinoya got up and staggered over, stretching out his hand to brace himself against Kageyama’s head. He put his other hand on the back of Hinata’s head, and Hinata wondered what was going through Nishinoya’s head now. However, his intentions were made crystal clear when he pressed the two of their heads closer.

He got mixed reactions.

Hinata yelled and tried to pull away, while Kageyama let himself be pushed forward, too plastered to do anything against it. Nishinoya cackled, and Asahi leapt up to hover anxiously over Nishinoya, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

“What are you guys doing?” Hinata sputtered, finally extricating himself from this situation. Tanaka, Nishinoya and Kageyama stared blankly at him.

“We’re trying to help you,” Kageyama tilted his head. “Didn’t you want to skip? Just kiss someone.”

“I- what?” Hinata gasped. Nishinoya nodded, stepping forward.

“Yeah. Its either a forfeit or a way to fulfil the condition.”

Hinata turned to the rest, a silent prayer for help in his eyes. Yachi looked unsure of what to do, Tsukishima stared back resolutely, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, and Yamaguchi smiled apologetically. Alright, no help from that front then. He turned back and stifled a shriek. Kageyama had moved uncomfortably close, so close that Hinata could clearly see Kageyama’s eyes; a blue so dark it was black, glossed over with alcohol. Hinata was about to run, scream or faint— he hadn’t decided yet— when his phone rang. The spell was broken, and he ran for the blessed release of his phone. “Hi, mom! No, I wasn’t in the middle of anything, what’s up?” Hinata was hyperaware of the attention of the room on him, and it made him nervous. “Oh, really? Ah, okay. Sure, I’ll be there soon. ‘Kay, see you. Bye!” He hung up and was instantly harassed by the three drunks.

“What did your mom say?” Nishinoya asked.

“Turns out she has to leave soon, so I have to go now. Sorry guys, I’ll fulfil the forfeit some other time!” Hinata picked his backpack up and rushed to the front door, waving goodbyes and promising that yes, he would fulfil the forfeit. He unchained his bike and began pushing it onto the familiar road home.

Hinata glanced back, watching Kageyama amble after him. When they reached the fork in the road, Hinata expected to hear the footsteps fade, but they continued after him. He waited a little longer, then casually called out. “Hey Kageyama. I thought you would stay over or something.”

“Shut up. ‘ve got a headache, and parents aren’t around,” Kageyama muttered. Hinata gave him a quick appraisal, confirming what he already knew: Kageyama was plastered. He wondered if he should get on and speed off, and pray that Kageyama knew the way home, but quickly shook those thoughts away. No, he shouldn’t. That’s not what friends do.

“Geez…Kageyama, you okay spending the night at my house? I don’t think we’re qualified enough to get to your house.” Kageyama mumbled his assent—or maybe that was a retching sound, Hinata wasn’t too sure. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know either. He spotted the lights of his house in the distance and sped up, but Kageyama grabbed him.

“Wai-”

He barely had time to react before Kageyama spun him around into a hug. Hinata’s arms were pinned to his sides; he let his bike fall. Somewhere, in a small corner of his mind, he lamented his bike getting scratched. But Kageyama nuzzled his hair and Hinata could hear the taller boy’s heartbeat right next to his ear, and all his concerns melted away. It beat at a steady rhythm, at odds with the staccato beats of Hinata’s own heartbeat. He inhaled and smelled a faint scent of alcohol, but that was quickly overtaken by another richer scent.

It smelled sweet. Hinata inhaled, vanilla and honey blurring into a deep, earthy smell and trailing off into something spicy and exotic. His sight blurred, and he swore he saw a red tail flick out from Kageyama’s back. The scent twisted into something clean, musky and vaguely floral. Hinata didn’t know what kind of flower he smelt; he was never great at gardening. Hinata slowly lifted his arms and squeezed back, and Kageyama squeezed him tighter in response. They stayed like this for a while.

When they finally disentangled, Hinata realized Kageyama’s eyes were focused on him. He inhaled shakily, and Kageyama’s eyes shot to his face. The scent changed again, turning into a soft, oriental fragrance. This smell made the dew on the grass glitter and sparkle like diamonds, brought the chirping of the cicadas into sharp clarity and softened the moonlight bathing them in its soft yellowy light. They stared at each other for a long time; it was like time stopped for them. Neither wanted to break the spell.

“We should… we should probably get to my house. Natsu will worry,” Hinata mumbled, hating himself for initiating it. He blinked, and everything faded back to normal: the cicadas quietened down, the moon dimmed and was replaced by the harsh fluorescent glow of the streetlamp. He leant down and picked up his bike. “Come on, Kageyama,” he murmured. When he looked back, Kageyama was once again normal, and they walked mutely to Hinata’s house and waited as he fumbled with the keys.

“Nii-chan!” Natsu had a bright smile on her face which promptly changed into a questioning look when she saw Kageyama. “Who’s that?” Hinata smiled and tried to sling an arm around Kageyama’s shoulders, which resulted in him awkwardly tiptoeing to reach.

“This is my friend and partner in volleyball, Kageyama-kun. Kageyama, this is my sister, Natsu. You’ve met before.”

Kageyama mumbled something incoherent and slumped against Hinata, who groaned under the weight. The alcohol was clearly taking effect. “Kageyama’s drunk, so could you drag out the futon in my room?” Natsu nodded and sped off towards the rooms, and he could faintly hear thumping and Natsu’s muffled footsteps. Hinata manhandled Kageyama through the doorway, forcibly kicking off his own shoes and working Kageyama’s off.

“Kageyama. Come on, take a shower, you’ll feel better. I’ll heat something up for you, then you can go crash,” Hinata coaxed Kageyama towards the shower, more or less supporting his entire weight. He helped Kageyama peel his shirt off, pointedly avoiding any sort of contact with Kageyama’s skin, and shoved him into the bathroom with the promise that he would bring a set of clothes for Kageyama.

He arrived in his room and surveyed the futon on the floor, a hot and sweaty Natsu lying on top. “Come on, Natsu. Get off Kageyama’s bed, or he’ll crush you.” He knelt down to shoo Natsu off, and she reluctantly got off.

“Are you worried about me, or about your boyfriend?”

Hinata’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

“Nii-chan, are you okay? Your face is really red.” Natsu didn’t seem to realize the implications of what she had just wrought upon her older brother, walking to the kitchen sedately.

Hinata could not believe it. In a daze, Hinata pulled out the largest clothes he had, and wordlessly handed them to a disembodied hand with the voice of Kageyama. He drifted to the kitchen, taking out some painkillers and pouring out a glass of water. Kageyama emerged from the shower in a cloud of steam, his towel draped over his head.

The shirt and shorts that Hinata had given him covered him, but barely—when he lifted his arms above his head, a thin sliver of skin was revealed. Hinata lifted his eyes to the heavens. God, give him strength to survive the night. Wordlessly, he pushed the glass of water and pills to Kageyama, who took them immediately. When he surfaced, he looked distinctly soberer. Kageyama sobered quickly, Hinata gave him that.

“Uhm, you’re sleeping in my room tonight, Kageyama. We have a guest room, but my mom keeps it locked up and I don’t have the key.”

“Okay then.” Kageyama looked at his clothes, and then at Hinata. “You’re really tiny, you know? I can barely fit.”

“Oh shut up Kageyama.”

* * *

“Hey. Are you awake?” Hinata whispered into the dark.

“No, go to sleep.”

“Wanna play volleyball?”

A pause. Then: “Dumbass, if we’re late for school tomorrow, I’ll kill you.” There was rustling as Kageyama shifted around, then Hinata saw Kageyama’s form looming over him. He reached under his bed for the volleyball he had, and they padded out to the tiny yard behind and started.

Sometime after 2 a.m., Kageyama claimed he had a headache and retired to bed. Hinata was up for a lot longer, trying to compose a message to Yachi. He needed help.

_Hinata_   
_Hey Yachi! I know this is pretty late, but can I talk to you sometime this weekend?_

_He had barely set his phone down when Yachi texted back._

_Yachi (◕‿◕✿)_   
_No problem! How about tomorrow, 10a.m.?_

_Hinata_   
_Isn’t tomorrow a school day?_

_Yachi (◕‿◕✿)_   
_Tomorrow is a Saturday, Hinata_

_Hinata_   
_Oh! Okay then! That coffee shop near my house then?_

_Yachi (◕‿◕✿)_   
_See you there! :DD_

Hinata plugged his phone in to charge, feeling distinctly better. At last, he could talk things out with Yachi! He closed his eyes, sinking into the silky embrace of sleep.

* * *

“Nii-chan! Mom’s back!”

“Mmm…” Hinata sat up, and Kageyama’s arm flopped off. Wait. Hinata looked down, then back up. During the night, he had fallen off the bed. Unusual, but not rare. But somehow, he had snuggled up to Kageyama on his futon, and the latter had thrown an arm over him. He looked down at Kageyama, trying to determine how they slept and the damage done. Kageyama’s face had probably been pressed against his side, which explained the warmth. Surprisingly, Kageyama hadn’t pushed him off the bed. Slowly, he inched out from Kageyama’s embrace and dressed quickly, leaving to meet Yachi.


	8. Gabrielle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help I don't know what's going on with the story anymore.

“Kageyama!! Did you get an invitation? To the party?”

“Stop jumping around dumbass. Yeah, I did. Are you going?”

“Obviously! I mean, it’s kind of like a reunion party, you know? You can’t miss it,” Hinata felt like a glass of soda; bubbling with impatience. Suga had called and told him about a party at his house. He claimed it was to celebrate them becoming second years, but really, it was probably an excuse to party, according to Noya. Either way, it was going to be fun!

He couldn’t wait for the end of class, fidgeting so many times the teachers asked if he would please calm down, since he was disrupting the class. During break, he was so distracted that he kept missing receives, and Kageyama yelled at him.

“Oi! What’s with your crappy receives?” Hinata beamed at Kageyama as way of answer and Kageyama huffed, lowering the volleyball in his hands. “Is it the party?”  
A nod.

“You’re such a child, getting excited over something like this,” Tsukishima commented drily, stopping in front of the two of them. “You’d have thought a year would be enough time to mature a little.”

“Oh shut up Tsukishima. Stop being a prick.” Kageyama scowled, meeting the other’s condescending smirk. Hinata completely ignored the jab and moved to chat with Tsukishima.

“Tsukishima, are you going for the party? Did Suga invite you?”

“Obviously, and no, I’m not-”

“You have to go! I mean, it’s like a reunion party for us!”

“Not interested,” Tsukishima clicked his tongue in annoyance and spun on his heel, tossing out a quick, “Come on Yamaguchi. Let’s go.” Yamaguchi trailed behind, turning back with an apologetic smile and a half wave.

“He’s going to come, so stop worrying.”

Hinata turned to Kageyama, who was bouncing the ball on his forearms. “How do you know?”

Kageyama bounced the ball into the air and caught it, surveying its surface. “Just a feeling.”

* * *

“Oh! You guys finally made it! Come on, you’re the last ones to arrive,” Suga pushed the door wider and allowed Kageyama and Hinata to step into the house. All of the members of the team were there, including Tsukishima. His eyes met Hinata and the message was clear: I was forced to come along. Tanaka and Nishinoya rushed up to them, dragging them deeper into the living room.

“Shouyou! Good timing, we were just about to play some games! Any suggestions?” Nishinoya braced himself on Hinata’s shoulders and jumped into the air, balancing precariously on them.

“Games?” Hinata staggered around, thrown off by the extra weight until Nishinoya dropped back down and resumed walking beside them.

“Games are a must have, since a party isn’t a party without them!” Tanaka proclaimed, steering them to a small table where snacks and a punch bowl had been set up. “Come my friends. Eat, and we shall commence the ceremony.”

Hinata immediately helped himself to the nuggets and various finger foods while Kageyama frowned. “Ceremony?”

Nishinoya and Tanaka exchanged identical diabolical grins and held up a bottle of tequila and an empty bottle respectively. “Get drunk, then play games till the crack of dawn!” A small doubt jiggled at the back of Kageyama’s mind, and he voiced it.

“Aren’t we underage? We shouldn’t even have alcohol.”

“Aw come on Kageyama, you’re no fun,” Tanaka slung an arm around him, shoving a plate of food into Kageyama’s hands. “But yes, we are underage. However, and this is a big pro in our favour,” Tanaka raised a finger to point at the drink bottle. “It’s very low in alcohol content. So unless you have terrible tolerance, you won’t get drunk.”

“Well, I won’t be participating. I don’t want to get drunk,” Kageyama announced. Nishinoya and Tanaka nodded somberly.

“Don’t be too sure about that. We have ways,” Nishinoya and Tanaka grinned and fist-bumped the other without even looking.

They all glanced towards Hinata, who turned to look at them. “I’m not allowed to stay too long, since I have to babysit Natsu. Mom went to visit an aunt,” he warned, carrying his plate of food towards the low coffee table where everyone was gathering. He squeezed in between Tsukishima and Yachi, who seemed amazingly at ease in this atmosphere. Kageyama glanced around for a seat, and seeing none, leant against the wall. Yachi stood up and waved Kageyama over.

“Are you sure? I’m fine with standing, you know.”

“It’s fine. I’m not one for drinking anyway,” Yachi beamed and disappeared to the kitchen. Kageyama took a seat beside Hinata, trying to ignore the fact that their knees brushed against each other occasionally.

“Okay! First game of the night, Shot Roulette!” Suga chirped, waving a small piece of paper around. “Yachi, if you’d please.”

Yachi emerged, bearing a tray of shot glasses, each one containing a clear liquid. She set it gently on the table and cleared her throat. “T-the rules are simple,” her voice wavered slightly and Hinata gave her an encouraging smile. She returned it and continued, her confidence bolstered. “You have to pick a cup up and guess if it’s water or alcohol. Then you drink it. If you guess incorrectly, you have to drink another one.” She glanced around. “So who wants to go first?”

“Kageyama should go first!”

“Yeah, Kageyama, you can’t reject your upperclassmen’s offer!”

“This is disgusting. I’m being ganged up on,” Kageyama grumbled, staying where he was stubbornly. “I’m not doing it.”

Hinata turned to look at Kageyama and snickered. “Bet its because you can’t hold your alcohol, Bakageyama!” He taunted, igniting Kageyama’s competitive flame.

“Oh it’s on, dumbass. I’ll show you.” Kageyama snatched a glass up and stared at it. “Alcohol.” He threw the drink back, and the liquid burned as it went down. He thumped the glass victoriously onto the table, and Yachi immediately refilled the glass and set it back onto the tray. She turned to Hinata.

“Hinata, your turn.”

Hinata spent a few moments mulling over the glasses, and finally he chose one. “Water,” he muttered, and sipped the cup. His face lit up, and he drank the rest. “I got it correct!”

The game progressed for a few rounds, until they were all reasonably inebriated. Suga dropped the piece of paper onto the table and asked them to pick while he got himself acquainted with the toilet for the second time. Nishinoya immediately snatched it up, his eyes scanning the words.

“How about never have I ever? It’s pretty easy, just take a shot whenever you have done something.” Nishinoya suggested, folding the piece of paper and pulling out a bottle of vodka. He glanced towards Shouyou and Tobio leaning on each other and silently and patted himself on the back for bringing something to contribute.

By this point, Kageyama’s senses had been slightly dulled by the alcohol, but his mind was still reasonably clear. Everything had a softer look around it, and the lights were bright and dripping neon. He murmured his assent, and he felt Hinata do the same. Nishinoya uncorked the bottle and smiled enthusiastically.

“I’ll go first! Never have I ever failed a test!” He immediately took a gulp and passed it along. Tanaka took a gulp, swallowing murmured protests, as did Hinata and Kageyama. The vodka didn’t smell very strong, but it tasted like liquid fire. Kageyama hacked and coughed, and Yachi had to thump him on the back. Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and the rest of the third and second years watched on, the latter slightly worried, the former smirking at their antics.

“That’s low, bro. Alright, never have I ever kissed a girl.” Tanaka snatched the bottle up and drank, passing it to Hinata, who passed it to Kageyama.

Nishinoya gasped. “Shouyou! Who was it?” He leant forward, propping his chin up on his hands.

“Does my sister count? I’ve kissed her on the cheek,” Hinata muttered, watching Kageyama gulp down vodka. Already, Nishinoya’s speech was slurring, the syllables catching on his lips.

“Ahh, I should’ve been more specific. Alright, you get a pass. Shouyou, your turn,” Nishinoya passed the bottle to Hinata, who studied it for a moment.

“Never have I ever rejected a girl,” he cheerfully passed the bottle to Kageyama, who drank from it. The look on his face when he resurfaced was murderous.

“Dumbass, you rigged the stupid question,” Kageyama slammed the bottle onto the table, glaring at Hinata from under hooded eyes. By way of response, Hinata giggled and waved for Tanaka to go on.

As the night progressed, so did the game. And the lower the alcohol level, the wilder the questions.

“Never have I ever stripped in public!” Tanaka shouted triumphantly, sloshing the alcohol around in its bottle. He took a big gulp and slammed the bottle on the table, but no one reached for it.

“That’s just you, Ryu,” Nishinoya cackled, pushing the bottle to Hinata. “Shouyou, show him how its done.”

Hinata picked up the bottle and pondered on the question he was going to ask. “Never have I ever dated someone.”

“Oh! Going in for the dirt Shouyou!” Nishinoya took a sip, slopping most of the liquid over himself. He laughed, standing up and swaying over to Asahi. “Asahi-san! Want to join? It’s fun!”

“Uhm…” Asahi glanced over to Suga for help, but the silver haired man only gave him a thumbs up and a tipsy grin.

Hinata grinned and passed the bottle to Kageyama, who passed it on. Nishinoya and Tanaka did the same. Asahi looked slightly uncomfortable when Nishinoya crawled onto his lap, but he didn’t push him off. Nishinoya’s jaw hung slack, and he pointed at Hinata. “No. Do we not have a broship between us? Shouyou, you’ve wounded me.”

Hinata shook his head, feeling slightly self conscious. Were you supposed to have it? They were all just his friends, right? Did friends do that?

Kageyama snatched up the bottle and stole a sip. Hinata couldn’t help but notice the flushed cheeks, his glossed over eyes and the way Kageyama’s hair stuck out in all directions. He was drunk, and Hinata was not. That was a massive win, and Hinata silently cheered.

“Never have I ever kissed someone, boy or girl. And it can’t be siblings.” Kageyama’s face was the very picture of drunken satisfaction as everyone groaned and took a sip. Hinata looked at the bottle, then at Kageyama. He didn’t want to drink anymore; he still had Natsu to think of. Kageyama caught his gaze and frowned.

“What?”

“Can I skip this round Kageyama? I have to go soon-”

“Dumbass, are you saying you’re not drinking? That’s a forfeit you know. And I’ll win.”

Hinata fidgeted with the bottle. “I know that, but-”

“Shouyou! I know what to do!” Nishinoya got up and staggered over, stretching out his hand to brace himself against Kageyama’s head. He put his other hand on the back of Hinata’s head, and Hinata wondered what was going through Nishinoya’s head now. However, his intentions were made crystal clear when he pressed the two of their heads closer.

He got mixed reactions.

Hinata yelled and tried to pull away, while Kageyama let himself be pushed forward, too plastered to do anything against it. Nishinoya cackled, and Asahi leapt up to hover anxiously over Nishinoya, unsure of what he was supposed to do.

“What are you guys doing?” Hinata sputtered, finally extricating himself from this situation. Tanaka, Nishinoya and Kageyama stared blankly at him.

“We’re trying to help you,” Kageyama tilted his head. “Didn’t you want to skip? Just kiss someone.”

“I- what?” Hinata gasped. Nishinoya nodded, stepping forward.

“Yeah. Its either a forfeit or a way to fulfil the condition.”

Hinata turned to the rest, a silent prayer for help in his eyes. Yachi looked unsure of what to do, Tsukishima stared back resolutely, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, and Yamaguchi smiled apologetically. Alright, no help from that front then. He turned back and stifled a shriek. Kageyama had moved uncomfortably close, so close that Hinata could clearly see Kageyama’s eyes; a blue so dark it was black, glossed over with alcohol. Hinata was about to run, scream or faint— he hadn’t decided yet— when his phone rang. The spell was broken, and he ran for the blessed release of his phone. “Hi, mom! No, I wasn’t in the middle of anything, what’s up?” Hinata was hyperaware of the attention of the room on him, and it made him nervous. “Oh, really? Ah, okay. Sure, I’ll be there soon. ‘Kay, see you. Bye!” He hung up and was instantly harassed by the three drunks.

“What did your mom say?” Nishinoya asked.

“Turns out she has to leave soon, so I have to go now. Sorry guys, I’ll fulfil the forfeit some other time!” Hinata picked his backpack up and rushed to the front door, waving goodbyes and promising that yes, he would fulfil the forfeit. He unchained his bike and began pushing it onto the familiar road home.

Hinata glanced back, watching Kageyama amble after him. When they reached the fork in the road, Hinata expected to hear the footsteps fade, but they continued after him. He waited a little longer, then casually called out. “Hey Kageyama. I thought you would stay over or something.”

“Shut up. ‘ve got a headache, and parents aren’t around,” Kageyama muttered. Hinata gave him a quick appraisal, confirming what he already knew: Kageyama was plastered. He wondered if he should get on and speed off, and pray that Kageyama knew the way home, but quickly shook those thoughts away. No, he shouldn’t. That’s not what friends do.

“Geez…Kageyama, you okay spending the night at my house? I don’t think we’re qualified enough to get to your house.” Kageyama mumbled his assent—or maybe that was a retching sound, Hinata wasn’t too sure. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know either. He spotted the lights of his house in the distance and sped up, but Kageyama grabbed him.

“Wai-”

He barely had time to react before Kageyama spun him around into a hug. Hinata’s arms were pinned to his sides; he let his bike fall. Somewhere, in a small corner of his mind, he lamented his bike getting scratched. But Kageyama nuzzled his hair and Hinata could hear the taller boy’s heartbeat right next to his ear, and all his concerns melted away. It beat at a steady rhythm, at odds with the staccato beats of Hinata’s own heartbeat. He inhaled and smelled a faint scent of alcohol, but that was quickly overtaken by another richer scent.

It smelled sweet. Hinata inhaled, vanilla and honey blurring into a deep, earthy smell and trailing off into something spicy and exotic. His sight blurred, and he swore he saw a red tail flick out from Kageyama’s back. The scent twisted into something clean, musky and vaguely floral. Hinata didn’t know what kind of flower he smelt; he was never great at gardening. Hinata slowly lifted his arms and squeezed back, and Kageyama squeezed him tighter in response. They stayed like this for a while.

When they finally disentangled, Hinata realized Kageyama’s eyes were focused on him. He inhaled shakily, and Kageyama’s eyes shot to his face. The scent changed again, turning into a soft, oriental fragrance. This smell made the dew on the grass glitter and sparkle like diamonds, brought the chirping of the cicadas into sharp clarity and softened the moonlight bathing them in its soft yellowy light. They stared at each other for a long time; it was like time stopped for them. Neither wanted to break the spell.

“We should… we should probably get to my house. Natsu will worry,” Hinata mumbled, hating himself for initiating it. He blinked, and everything faded back to normal: the cicadas quietened down, the moon dimmed and was replaced by the harsh fluorescent glow of the streetlamp. He leant down and picked up his bike. “Come on, Kageyama,” he murmured. When he looked back, Kageyama was once again normal, and they walked mutely to Hinata’s house and waited as he fumbled with the keys.

“Nii-chan!” Natsu had a bright smile on her face which promptly changed into a questioning look when she saw Kageyama. “Who’s that?” Hinata smiled and tried to sling an arm around Kageyama’s shoulders, which resulted in him awkwardly tiptoeing to reach.

“This is my friend and partner in volleyball, Kageyama-kun. Kageyama, this is my sister, Natsu. You’ve met before.”

Kageyama mumbled something incoherent and slumped against Hinata, who groaned under the weight. The alcohol was clearly taking effect. “Kageyama’s drunk, so could you drag out the futon in my room?” Natsu nodded and sped off towards the rooms, and he could faintly hear thumping and Natsu’s muffled footsteps. Hinata manhandled Kageyama through the doorway, forcibly kicking off his own shoes and working Kageyama’s off.

“Kageyama. Come on, take a shower, you’ll feel better. I’ll heat something up for you, then you can go crash,” Hinata coaxed Kageyama towards the shower, more or less supporting his entire weight. He helped Kageyama peel his shirt off, pointedly avoiding any sort of contact with Kageyama’s skin, and shoved him into the bathroom with the promise that he would bring a set of clothes for Kageyama.

He arrived in his room and surveyed the futon on the floor, a hot and sweaty Natsu lying on top. “Come on, Natsu. Get off Kageyama’s bed, or he’ll crush you.” He knelt down to shoo Natsu off, and she reluctantly got off.

“Are you worried about me, or about your boyfriend?”

Hinata’s mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out.

“Nii-chan, are you okay? Your face is really red.” Natsu didn’t seem to realize the implications of what she had just wrought upon her older brother, walking to the kitchen sedately.

Hinata could not believe it. In a daze, Hinata pulled out the largest clothes he had, and wordlessly handed them to a disembodied hand with the voice of Kageyama. He drifted to the kitchen, taking out some painkillers and pouring out a glass of water. Kageyama emerged from the shower in a cloud of steam, his towel draped over his head.

The shirt and shorts that Hinata had given him covered him, but barely—when he lifted his arms above his head, a thin sliver of skin was revealed. Hinata lifted his eyes to the heavens. God, give him strength to survive the night. Wordlessly, he pushed the glass of water and pills to Kageyama, who took them immediately. When he surfaced, he looked distinctly soberer. Kageyama sobered quickly, Hinata gave him that.

“Uhm, you’re sleeping in my room tonight, Kageyama. We have a guest room, but my mom keeps it locked up and I don’t have the key.”

“Okay then.” Kageyama looked at his clothes, and then at Hinata. “You’re really tiny, you know? I can barely fit.”

“Oh shut up Kageyama.”

* * *

“Hey. Are you awake?” Hinata whispered into the dark.

“No, go to sleep.”

“Wanna play volleyball?”

A pause. Then: “Dumbass, if we’re late for school tomorrow, I’ll kill you.” There was rustling as Kageyama shifted around, then Hinata saw Kageyama’s form looming over him. He reached under his bed for the volleyball he had, and they padded out to the tiny yard behind and started.

Sometime after 2 a.m., Kageyama claimed he had a headache and retired to bed. Hinata was up for a lot longer, trying to compose a message to Yachi. He needed help.

Hinata  
Hey Yachi! I know this is pretty late, but can I talk to you sometime this weekend?

He had barely set his phone down when Yachi texted back.

Yachi (◕‿◕✿)   
No problem! How about tomorrow, 10a.m.?

Hinata   
Isn’t tomorrow a school day?

Yachi (◕‿◕✿)   
Tomorrow is a Saturday, Hinata

Hinata   
Oh! Okay then! That coffee shop near my house then?

Yachi (◕‿◕✿)   
See you there! :DD

Hinata plugged his phone in to charge, feeling distinctly better. At last, he could talk things out with Yachi! He closed his eyes, sinking into the silky embrace of sleep.

* * *

“Nii-chan! Mom’s back!”

“Mmm…” Hinata sat up, and Kageyama’s arm flopped off. Wait. Hinata looked down, then back up. During the night, he had fallen off the bed. Unusual, but not rare. But somehow, he had snuggled up to Kageyama on his futon, and the latter had thrown an arm over him. He looked down at Kageyama, trying to determine how they slept and the damage done. Kageyama’s face had probably been pressed against his side, which explained the warmth. Surprisingly, Kageyama hadn’t pushed him off the bed. Slowly, he inched out from Kageyama’s embrace and dressed quickly, leaving to meet Yachi.

* * *

“Yachi! Hi!” Hinata waved. Yachi looked up, taking off her glasses and putting her notes away.

“Hi Hinata. How’s studying going?”

Hinata pulled a face and took a seat. “Don’t talk about studying now, Yachi,” he moaned. “I just want to ask you something. Uhm…something about relationships. Just asking for a friend!” He hastily added.

Yachi’s eyebrows arched upwards, and she steepled her fingers together. “Relationship questions? Hit me with it. I’m not very good at it, but I can give some advice.”

Hinata nodded and gulped. “Okay, so there’s this guy with a secret identity. But they don’t know that my friend knows his secret identity. Following me so far?”

Yachi nodded, and Hinata continued.

“But my friend doesn’t know that he knows his secret identity, and the guy is pretty dense, so he doesn’t know what’s going on.” Hinata realized he was rambling, but how was he supposed to tell Yachi: Oh hey, so I’m an angel, and I’m pretty sure a devil is Kageyama. Also, I broke a sacred vow by looking at his face, punishable by literal death by flaming sword.

“Do we know this mystery person we’re talking about?” Yachi had a frown furrowing her brow, and Hinata could tell she was entering that mode that allowed her to make notes on a several topics in a single hour.

“Uhm…yes,” Hinata admitted.

“Okay, so I’m going to assume that you can’t you talk to him about it?” Yachi looked up. “Could your friend try to hint that they know about this secret identity—wait. This isn’t some sort of gang you’re involved in, are you Hinata?”

“Nononononononono! It’s just like a…yeah. You know.” Yachi looked doubtful for a moment before continuing.

“Well, I suggest finding out what your friend is getting into first. It might not be what it seems. But maybe someone close to you can help out.”

Someone close to him that he can trust with this monumental secret? Hinata mused to himself as he left the café, his bag significantly heavier with notes. Yachi had insisted that he make some notes with her, since they were there, and Hinata couldn’t say no. Anyways, he would get some notes that Kageyama wouldn’t get.

 _What about Suga?_ His mind whispered.

 _Suga would be a good choice, but why him?_ He asked back.

 _Just because_. His mind responded.

* * *

“Suga-san! Can I talk to you for a moment?” Hinata called out. It was after practice, and he had just caught up with Suga.

“Oh, sure Hinata. What about?” Suga waved for Daichi and Asahi to continue on and slowed down to accommodate for Hinata.

“Uhm, this is about the…you know. The angel thing…” He mumbled.

Suga’s eyebrows shot into lower orbit and he pulled Hinata aside. “What about the angel thing?” His voice was carefully guarded and neutral, at odds with the twinkle in his eyes.

“So uhm…I think Kageyama’s a devil…” Hinata mumbled.

Suga’s eyes grew bright, and he pursed his lips. “So I was right. Akaashi owes me ten yen.” Upon spotting the bemused look on Hinata’s face, a mischievous smile spread across his face. “Akaashi is an angel too, Hinata. I believe you met him at the recent ball.”

A memory of speckled wings and a soft voice clipped past Hinata, and he inhaled sharply.

“Who else is an angel or a devil?” Hinata felt a little faint. He never realized so many of the people he knew were hiding double lives this whole time. They must be great actors to hide it for so long.

“I don’t really know anyone in Nekoma who’s a celestial, but Akaashi suspects Oikawa. Oh! That reminds me, we have a group chat for this, I need to add your number.” Suga whipped out his phone and typed furiously for a moment. After a while, Hinata’s phone dinged cheerfully, and he fumbled his phone out of his pocket. A new group chat had appeared on the top of his contacts, and he clicked on it.

Hinata   
Hi!

Suga-san   
Introduce yourself :D

Hinata   
I’m Hinata!

Suga-san   
He’s an angel, Akaashi. Both literally and figuratively.

Akaashi   
Icic. Welcome, Hinata. How have you been?

Hinata   
Good so far!

Hinata lied. Exams were coming, and he was panicking. Yachi? No, he had asked too much of her already. Yamaguchi? No, he would be with Tsukishima, and Hinata didn’t want to deal with his barbed replies at the moment. Tsukishima? He shuddered. God, he must be grasping at straws if he actually considered Tsukishima.

“Oi dumbass.”

Hinata shot up, the top of his head colliding with Kageyama’s jaw. “Ow! What was that for Kageyama?” He whined, rubbing his head. He swore he felt a bump.

“Wh-that was you!” Kageyama snarled, swiping at Hinata, who easily ducked. “Anyway, I came to ask if you wanted to study together. You know, because exams are coming, and two brains are better than one-”

“Yeah sure! Where, and when?” Hinata was hyped for it.

“My house, this afternoon?” Kageyama asked, crushing his milk carton and tossing it into the bin. “My sister’s going to be home, so I guess we can ask her if we need help.”


End file.
